Masterpiece
by TaylaNovak
Summary: They met purely by coincidence. Or one could call it fate, if you believed in that sort of thing. Regina Mills hated fate. It had screwed her over more than enough times in her life. She no longer trusted it. But on this day, fate did something magical. It lead her right to the woman that would change her life.
1. Chapter 1

They met purely by coincidence. Or one could call it fate, if you believed in that sort of thing. Regina Mills hated fate. It had screwed her over more than enough times in her life. She no longer trusted it. But on this day, fate did something magical. It lead her right to the woman that would change her life.

Over the past 20 years or so Regina Mills had gotten good at navigating the world without magic. Before adopting Henry she often spent weeks at a time exploring this strange new land and its many wonders. She was shocked at the way things worked and soon found herself falling in love with it. She never stayed gone long now due to having Henry now, or often times he would accompany on her little missions outside of Storybrooke. This particular time her little boy had opted to stay home with Graham while she went to investigate a carnival in Portland. It was a bustling and colorful affair that made her smile and wish Henry was here to see it.

She approached a booth where balloons were taped to a wall. "Try your luck little lady?" The man in the booth asked. "First round's on the house." He held up some darts and she took them, weighing them in her hands. She used to throw daggers all the time locked away in her castle. It was rather easy to toss the darts and hit 3 balloons. "Ho, ho, we have a winner! What would you like, Miss?" he gestured to the line of stuffed animals hanging from the top of the booth. She pointed at a plushy horse and he picked it down for her.

"Thank you." Regina continued on, enjoying the many festivities. She must've looked like a child in wonderland, taking in as much as she could as she wandered through the throng of people and the mixture of colorful booths with party games. Her stomach rumbled to let her know it was not to be ignored and she made her way over to a food truck. It seemed like a clean enough establishment to eat food from. It was where Regina saw her. She was standing in line, headphones in her ears, dancing absently to the rhythm and shaking her hips. She was so beautiful, possessing lovely golden skin and an hourglass figure and long incredible legs that were on full display. Her hair was long and golden brown, a wavy mane fit for a lion. She was tall. A few inches taller than Regina herself and her eyes seemed to be green or gray. Regina couldn't tell what with her dancing and shaking her head. A little girl with the family started laughing at her silliness and the woman stopped, blushing but smiling brightly. Regina frowned when she covered her smile with a hand while high fiving the little girl. A smile like that should never be hidden from the world. The family moved on and the woman stepped forward to order. Regina looked up at the menu. She had no idea what half the stuff on it was.

"What the hell's a funnel cake?" she said softly.

"A slice of heaven." The woman in front of her grinned. Regina stepped back at the sound of her voice. She had expected something light and airy and pretty. Instead it was deep, with a rasp to it, like silk and smoke. The woman's eyes went wide for a moment. She blushed and quickly turned back to ordering her food.

Regina arched an eyebrow at her reaction, more amused than anything by how nervous she seemed to make the goddess in front of her. The former queen's eyes were drawn almost instinctively to those legs. They looked flawless, almost handcrafted. Not even muscular, but toned and soft. She wanted to lick them…

The woman moved on after accepting her food and Regina ordered a funnel cake and a soda. She chose a picnic table and sat down to eat the sweet treat that had her almost moaning at the first bite. It was delicious and she almost wanted to buy another one after polishing off the first. She spent the rest of the day exploring the fair before leaving. She decided to make a quick stop at a grocery store on the way home. The one in Storybrooke was relatively small and didn't have all the things that she had become accustomed to in this world. It was there that she ran into her mystery woman again. Literally.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry."

Regina rubbed her forehead and felt someone grab her hands to pull her back to her feet. "No, it's…" Her words failed her when she realized how soft the woman's hands were, how their hands seemed to fit perfectly together. "It's fine."

The woman smirked. "You're the elegant beauty who didn't know what a funnel cake was."

"Elegant beauty?" Regina smiled. "You certainly know how to charm a girl you almost ran over."

"I'm merely stating facts. I'm Lexa. Lexa Kane."

"Regina Mills." Regina glanced down at their still joined hands and Lexa quickly released her, turning bright red. Green. Regina was close enough to tell her eyes were green now. They were a beautiful green, a vivid green. "Could I have your number?"

Lexa's eyes went wide. "Wow, really?" She said almost in shock, before quickly trying to play it off. "I mean, sure." They exchanged phone numbers and just like that, Regina knew she would become hooked. She knew that there was something extraordinary about Miss Lexa Kane. She just didn't know what yet.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Emma Swan walked into her apartment, she almost tore off her jacket and let it fall next to the door. Her shoes and socks came next. She tossed her keys into a bowl on the coffee table as she walked past it, taking in the sight of her roommate draped over the couch on the phone. The blonde rolled her eyes and placed three boxes of hot pizza on the kitchen island. "Lily! Dinner!"

"What'd you get?" Her third roommate, a beautiful brunette in jeans and a sports bra, came skipping out of her bedroom.

"A bucket of chicken." Emma retorted, picking up an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table. She threw it at Lexa, catching the younger girl on the back of the head. "Dinner!"

Lexa glared at her and turned back to her conversation. "So, I'll text you later tonight?" Lexa smiled with a dreamy expression on her face. Even Lily stopped to watch her. "Talk to you then. Okay." Lexa hung up the phone but it took her an extra moment to get up and take a seat to the island.

"Who was that?" Emma asked.

"Who?"

"Don't even dare." Lily smirked. "On the phone. You've never had the puppy eyes before. Spill."

Lexa blushed and looked down. "Okay, I met someone today."

"Duh." Lily said, eyes going wide impatiently. "Come on, Lex. Who is she? She's not another one of those young blonde bimbos, is she?" She glanced at Emma, who glared at her.

"No, she's probably in her 30s or something. I never asked."

"So, a Milf?" Lily continued grinning as she fixed herself a plate of pizza.

"She's...amazing." Lexa looked up and the dreamy look took over her facial expressions again. "She's so beautiful, like God took his time creating that woman. And she's so smart and deep and incredible. And that voice…" Lexa shuddered. "That voice could make you orgasm with a few choice words, I'm telling you." She sighed and her face became almost conflicted. Emma hadn't known the young 21 year old as long as Lily had, but she knew Lexa well enough to know when she was in deep thought about something that was confusing her. "She's beautiful, but...it's like she doesn't know that. I mean she knows she's sexy, but not... _beautiful_."

"A bit like you?" Lily said softly. She and Lexa exchanged looks and the younger blonde shrugged.

"You got all this from a trip to the fair?" Emma inquired, biting into a cheese pizza.

Lexa shook her head, picking out a slice for herself. "No, I met her at the grocery store too."

"And they've been talking for the past like 3 hours." Lily supplied.

"Well thanks, Lil."

Lily grinned. "You've got it bad, my friend. Just make sure she knows who I am and how many guns I have."

Lexa rolled her eyes. "I'm heading up to the studio."

"Medicine?" Lily reminded. Lexa picked the bottle off of the counter and quickly gulped two pills down. Lily smiled. "Good, see you in the morning. I have to go get ready for work. Don't spend the entire night in the studio please."

"Yes, Mom!" Lexa called over her shoulder as she grabbed her plate and headed upstairs.

Emma glanced at the pill bottle. She was never told what they were for and she'd never asked, although she often wondered. Lily and Lexa had known each other for a few years before Lily ran into Emma again after almost a decade apart and she was curious about she was missing out on.

Lily came back out, this time wearing royal blue heels and a matching blouse. "I'll be back around 5. Tell Lex I said goodnight and check on her for me."

"Why does she take the medicine?" Emma asked, watching the brunette put on a jacket. Her movements slowed and something flashed through her eyes.

"I can't tell you. Just know that it helps Lexa. That's all that matters." Lily left the apartment and Emma sighed and bit into her pizza.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Due to Henry and having to go to school Regina couldn't meet with Lexa on a regular basis. They spent almost two weeks just talking on the phone and skyping one another before Lexa came up with the idea of meeting while Henry was at school since she had to be home on the weekends. Lexa was far from a morning person, but she seemed determined to pursue this relationship and promised to have something fun for them to do every day of the week. Their first date involved going to a carnival in New York. It was perhaps the best day of Regina's life. She had never felt so relaxed in someone else's presence before and Lexa was too adorable as she excitedly showed Regina all the things she had missed growing up in fairytale land. She had this weird need of asking Regina to read things out loud and then grinning like a fool after she did. It was apparently because Regina had a sexy voice. The next day they rested and Regina spent the entire day laying in bed talking to Lexa on the phone. The next day they went ice skating, and the next, bungee jumping. The day after that they had a simple picnic in the park and Regina watched Lexa take pictures of the scenery. Even though they had spent hours talking on the phone, Regina still knew so little about the woman that was slowly consuming all of her attention and affection. Lexa was truly something else.

"Lexa?" Regina touched the beautiful thigh of the blonde at her side, who looked up from her camera in curiosity. "Tell me about you. Tell me about your family. I know you don't like to talk about them but..." Lexa slowly put down her camera. "How about we go back and forth." She suggested.

"Um, okay. My family's kinda fucked up though."

"Trust me, you're not the only one." Regina scoffed.

"Okay, well...I don't have much of a family right now. Just Emma and Lily." She shrugged. "I had an older sister named Dinah but... she died. My younger sister hates me-"

"Hates you, why?" Regina inquired, wondering how anyone could not love the golden hearted woman in front of her.

"Jealousy, I guess. Dinah was the perfect daughter: beautiful, smart, outgoing. She was the most popular girl in school, valedictorian, head cheerleader, dated the star quarterback, captain of the volleyball team and a champion gymnast. She just, was built for that kind of life. And me, well I had my moments of fame. I had plenty of friends, salutatorian, I was captain of the swim team and the track team and I was a cheerleader. Mostly, I liked painting and writing though." Lexa shrugged, crossing her legs and fiddling nervously with her camera. "Anyways, my younger sister, Meghan, was a little overshadowed, I guess. Dinah was my best friend and I really looked up to her but she and Meghan just… They butted heads all the time and it didn't help that Meghan had broken my arm once when we were younger just because I got a part in a play that she wanted. I pretty much hated her after that. Still do." Regina opened her mouth to ask another question but Lexa waved them off. "Let's just say that we couldn't get along no matter what happened."

"I don't have any siblings." Regina replied. "I sometimes wish I did. It might've made life a little easier to bear." Lexa frowned in concern and Regina smiled sadly. "My mother was very controlling, as you already know. She had a life that she wanted me to live and she wanted to make sure I lived it."

"That's when the abuse started?"

She nodded. "She forced me to give up the man I loved and made me marry some old bastard almost 4 times my age."

"What about your father?" Lexa asked.

"He was afraid of her." Regina swallowed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't abuse him either. She was very...powerful and very heartless."

"They sound about as amazing as my parents." Lexa scoffed. "They're rich and self entitled and nauseating. You know, the rich guys who go to regattas and tea parties and charity benefits just to stroke their own egos. I mean, I loved them, until Dinah." Regina fought back a scowl seeing her friend so conflicted, so upset. "Dinah died and they made me quit all my sports, had me take over hers. She was barely gone a few months and her stupid boyfriend almost...almost raped me. I told my parents and they wouldn't even let me go to the cops because it might ruin our reputations. I ran away the next day and never looked back."

Regina slid close to Lexa and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry." She wanted to hunt every single one of the bastards down who ever hurt Lexa in any way. She wanted to let the Evil Queen loose and torture them in all types of ways. She didn't know where this sudden furiosity came from, especially for someone she hardly knew. But she silently promised that she would never do anything to hurt the beautiful woman in her arms. Lexa leaned away after a few minutes and looked at Regina before suddenly snapping her picture, erasing the slight tension with ease.

"Why do you like taking my picture?" Regina smirked.

"Because something as beautiful as you should be photographed." Lexa replied easily.

Regina blushed at her words. Compliments seemed to roll off her tongue with ease and they never failed to make Regina blush or smile. Her attention returned to Lexa, watching her take a picture of the lake nearby where a few ducks had remained for the winter. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Lexa just seemed to have a hold on her. She was so kind and care free. It had only been a few weeks but Regina had never seen her lose her temper, had rarely seen her upset. She seemed to be very good at letting go of unimportant grievances.

"Um, I took your advice with Henry." Regina said, attracting Lexa's attention again. "He can't stay in that tiny town forever. This summer he wants to go to summer camp and...I've already signed him up."

Lexa grinned. "I'm sure he'll love it, Gina."

Regina shrugged. Henry and Lexa hadn't met yet but she had told her about him, a bit nervous that she would leave because of him. But she didn't. Lexa was a kid at heart and she helped to balance Regina. She didn't want to be controlling and manipulative like her mother, but she didn't want to let Henry go either.

Lexa stood up and dusted off her jeans, extending her hand to help Regina up. She cleaned up their area and shoved everything in the picnic basket. "Is there anything you want to do? We have a few hours to kill before Henry gets home from school."

Regina shrugged. "I don't know. You choose."

Lexa smirked as they got into her car. "Alright then." She drove them through the city for a few minutes before parking outside a tall bright building. Regina was skeptic as she followed Lexa inside the building and into the elevator. Lexa started bouncing and Regina smiled at how excited she was. Once the elevator doors opened she took Regina's hand in hers and lead her down the hallway to a room that resembled a dance studio. The walls were mostly covered in mirrors and there was a large stereo in the corner. Besides a few mats on the floor, the room was bare.

"Is this your famous studio?" Regina inquired.

"No, but I like to come here sometimes. Dancing is very therapeutic." Lexa shrugged off her coat, leaving it on the floor, took off her shoes and slid over to the stereo.

Regina frowned as she realized what Lexa had planned. "I don't dance, dear."

"It's fun." Lexa tossed over her shoulder.

"For people who **can** dance, I'm sure it is."

Lexa turned around as some music started to play. Something about fevers or something. It had a jazzy, sultry tune to it. Lexa held out her hand. Regina sighed and removed her coat and shoes.

"Don't laugh."

"I wouldn't dare." Regina took her hand and hesitantly stepped forward. "Just feel the beat. Feel the music." Lexa encouraged. She put her arms around Regina and smiled reassuringly.

"Lexa, I don't...I've never danced before."

"You're doing fine, Regina. Just relax."

Regina took a deep breath. She never danced. Leopold always would rather dance with Snow and so, she had never learned. It took little for Lexa to make her feel relaxed and within a few minutes they were dancing around the studio without a care in the world. They danced to a hundred different songs ranging from country to latin to pop to hip hop and Beyonce, who appeared to be one singer but apparently had a category all her own.

"I suppose this was fun." Regina said, collapsing onto one of the mats. Lexa laughed and leaped on top of her, kissing her sweaty forehead and rolling onto her side.

"There is so much I have to show you, Regina." Lexa grinned. "I'm gonna show you the world. I promise."

Regina smiled. "Okay. But I pick the next week of dates."

"Deal."

/

After a long and mostly boring weekend, Regina was excited for her time to pick the dates. She wanted to keep it fun but also show Lexa the things she was good at and had learned during her time in this world, as well as in the one she left behind. That included archery, jet skiing, scuba diving, and of course horseback riding. Lexa was of Polynesian descent and was an expert when it came to anything that related to the water. It was the most fun Regina ever had in her life. Her world outside Storybrooke was starting to leak through the curse and people were beginning to notice the change in their hardass mayor. Changes that only came from her relationship with Lexa.

Regina was sitting in her usual booth with Henry, watching him devour his food with a fond smile. She looked down at her buzzing phone and grinned at seeing a text from Lexa. Ruby Lucas suddenly came to place a piece of cheesecake in front of her. Regina raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"A little treat for our hardworking mayor." Ruby replied with a smirk. "And an excuse for me to find out who it was that could make the madame mayor smile like that. I must say, I'm a little jealous."

Regina smirked. Ruby was always such a flirt, even though she was seeing Belle, who Regina, after a change of heart, had released from the asylum and granted a new house, clothes and full access to the town library. Truly she had never seen Ruby quite so happy. "Would Belle approve of your jealousy?"

"Well, she knows I have a soft spot for beautiful, intelligent brunettes." Ruby grinned playfully and gestured to the cheesecake. "It's on the house."

Regina smiled and dug into her treat, taking a quick picture of herself enjoying it and sending it to Lexa. She received a picture of Lexa pouting a moment later and she chuckled to herself.

"Who's that?" Henry asked, noticing his mother giggling like a teenager.

"A friend." Regina replied. She pushed her phone to the side and reached into her purse, pulling out a flyer for a summer camp. Henry's eyes lit up. She didn't even have to say a word before he had thrown himself over the table into her arms. She smiled and kissed the top of his head. Anything for her Little Prince. As long as he was happy, so was she. He talked about the camp through the rest of their dinner. He was still chattering away when she put him to bed that night.

"Good night, Henry."

"Good night, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, my Little Prince." Regina clicked off the light and walked into her bedroom, immediately noticing she had a text from Lexa.

 _Good night, Beautiful._

Regina smiled and texted back a reply. _Good night, my Polynesian princess._ Lexa then replied with a picture of a grinning monkey and Regina rolled her eyes. _You are such a child._

 _You love it, you milf._

Regina rolled her eyes, but a smile forced its way onto her lips.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review!

A/N: Hey guys. I hope you liked the last like 15 updates. I'm gonna try to keep things updating. Especially the older ones that haven't been updated in doomsday. But today I needed a quick break and this little number popped out. I don't know what it is about Regina/OC stories, but I love writing them. Send me some feedback if you liked it and feel free to send some ideas for it.

P.S. Also, feel free to message me if there is a particular story you want updated ASAP.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina looked around the empty beach, trying to find her. It was beautiful tonight. The moon was full and bright and the waves crashing on the shore was calming. Only one thing could be even more beautiful. She looked around with a frown. She;d left her phone in the car so she couldn't even call Lexa. Then she saw her. Regina walked towards the lone figure on the beach, licking her lips at seeing Lexa's butt in a dark pink bikini that went well with her skin tone. Lexa turned around, swinging her thick mane of hair and a grin took over her face. Regina ran to her and leaped into her arms, locking her legs around her waist. Lexa laughed and kissed her cheek. "I thought you left or something. Sorry I'm late. Henry wouldn't go to sleep."

Lexa placed her back on the sand and shrugged. "It's fine. Come on." She took Regina's hand and lead her on a walk down the beach. "You look really hot, by the way."

Regina smirked. "So do you, Miss Kane."

Lexa kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. "So, let's play 20 questions until we get to the place. That way we can continue to get to know each other."

"We know almost everything about each other. And what place?"

"Surprise." Lexa said. "Ask me a question. Then I'll ask you one."

"Fine." Regina thought for a moment. "You said you're polynesian, but what are you specifically?"

"I am Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, and Hawaiian." Lexa answered. "What are you then?"

"Um, Puerto Rican and Italian." Regina replied. She actually had to take a test for that one. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"Well...I'm an island girl, but I think I'd want to go to Australia."

"So basically a very large island/continent." Regina laughed.

"I've always wanted to go to the beaches there. I hear they're great to surf. Now, my turn. Um... how old are you?" Regina stopped walking and glared at her. "What?"

"I'm older than you. Let's just say that."

Lexa grinned, taking Regina's hand again and leading her close to the water so it could wash over their feet. "Okay, that was a horrible answer, but your turn for questions."

"What is your favorite memory of your sister, Dinah?" Regina's heart fluttered at the smile that lit up Lexa's face.

"Well, there were lots to choose from, but I think...my favorite would be my first day of high school. You know, most older sisters wouldn't want to be seen with their siblings, but she took me everywhere. Showed me around, let me meet her friends, ate lunch with me, bought me a ton of snacks, invited me to try out for cheerleading. She was just...amazing. The best big sister anyone could ever want."

Regina smiled. "She sounds like it."

"I wish you'd met her. She would've loved you." Lexa said. A comfortable silence fell over them as they walked. A few minutes later they arrived at their destination. On the ground were lanterns, leading the way to a blanket spread on the sand. More lanterns were around it, forming the shape of a heart. Rose petals had been sprinkled everywhere and there was a bottle of champagne on ice next to a picnic basket. Soft music was already playing.

 _The sun is setting and you're right here by my side  
And the movie is playing, but we won't be watching tonight  
Every look, every touch makes me wanna give you my heart  
I'd be crushin' on you, baby  
Stay the way you are_

The sight almost brought tears to her eyes. "But Lex, we already ate."

"I know, this is just dessert." Lexa smiled, blushing. Her hand started to go up and cover her mouth but Regina stopped it.

"Don't ever hide your smile again." Regina commanded. Her words only made Lexa blush even harder. The tall blonde lead her down the lit path to the blanket and sat down. She opened the basket and pulled out the assortment of cakes and cookies and even ice cream that had been chilling in a container to keep it cold. Lexa handed her a fork.

"You made this?" Regina asked.

"Um, yeah. Hopefully we don't die after eating this."

Regina scoffed and ate a piece of chocolate cake. It was delicious. She gave Lexa the thumbs up and ate another piece. She fed Lexa a piece and smiled at the blonde's blushing. They spent the next hour just talking and laughing and feeding each other treats. It was such a magical night. And when they were done, Regina moved into Lexa's arms and relaxed while staring out over the waves. The music faded into the background because it couldn't compare to the sweet music of Lexa Kane's heartbeat.

 _'Cause I never knew, I never knew  
You could have moonlight in your hands  
'Til the night I held you  
In the moonlight  
Moonlight_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Maybe this is a mistake." Regina said, pacing anxiously. "What if he needs me? What if something happens and I'm not there?" She dug her hands into her hair, debating about rushing back to the summer camp and getting her son.

Lexa rolled her eyes as she kissed Regina's forehead. "He's been gone less than an hour. He will be fine. He's **your** son, remember?" She grabbed Regina's suitcases out of the car and Regina took one as Lexa took her other hand. "I have you all to myself for the next 3 weeks and I don't want you to spend it worrying."

Regina glanced up at the expensive looking high rise apartment building in which Lexa lived. For the next 3 weeks, Regina would live here too, with the woman she was steadily falling for and her two roommates. At this thought her worrying turned to something else. "What if your friends don't like me?"

Lexa stopped to place a tender kiss to her forehead. "I don't care what they like. **I** like you. I don't need them to like who I like."

"But Lexa-"

"No buts." Lexa snapped before kissing the back of Regina's hand. "Do you trust me, babe?"

"Yes." Regina smiled at the pet name.

"Good, now come on. I want to show you my special place. You'll love it. At least, I hope you will."

"I'm sure that I will." Regina smiled, giving Lexa's hand a squeeze. She took note of the pristine carpeted halls of the apartment complex as Lexa lead her confidently through the front lobby and into an elevator. She pressed the number 23 and leaned against the wall. Regina took in the sight of her lover. Lexa was dressed in jean shorts, flip flops and a loose gray tank top, despite it being barely 20 degrees outside. Her hair was in its usual wavy mane, spilling down her shoulders and back like a luxurious waterfall. No makeup was needed. Regina had already seen her without it, and considering she had only come outside to help Regina bring in her things, the queen didn't expect her to dress up just to welcome Regina into her home. "Aren't you freezing?" She asked.

"Slightly, but it's warm in the apartment. I don't like to wear very constricting clothing at home." Lexa replied, bouncing a little. Regina was mesmerized by her exposed legs. Damn, this girl had amazing legs. She was about to make a comment about them when the elevator doors opened and Lexa stepped out, dragging one of Regina's suitcases. Regina fought a scowl and hefted her other one to follow. They walked down the hall until they came to the last one marked apartment 47. Lexa used a key hanging around her neck to unlock the door and smiled as she lead Regina inside. Regina's eyebrows rose, taking in the sight of the lovely decor. It looked like a loft apartment, expensive and exquisite and modern. Most of the floors were hardwood with some carpets here and there. There was a plasma screen tv on the wall, with a long gray couch and two matching chairs in front of it, along with a hammock, oddly enough. Regina followed Lexa through the home, noticing a set of transparent stairs on the other side of the kitchen, and into Lexa's bedroom. The room was larger than she'd imagined but the bed still managed to take up half the space by itself and was covered in red sheets. There was another stereo, another tv, a dresser, and two doors. One lead to the master bathroom and the other, to Lexa's walk-in closet that was close to bursting.

"Well?" Lexa asked with a nervous smile. "What do you think?"

"I think this place is amazing." Regina exclaimed. "It's beautiful."

Lexa blushed and grinned so hard that she covered her smile again. After helping Regina unpack her things, they walked back out into the living room, just as Lexa's roommates walked in. One was a pretty brunnette, and the other a lovely looking blonde. Both seemed athletic and fit. The blonde was wearing camo and a bullet proof vest while the brunette looked ready to go clubbing. From Lexa's words, Regina had learned that one worked as a bounty hunter and the other worked as a manager and bartender for some kind of nightclub nearby.

"Regina, these are my roommates. Emma and Lily. Guys, this is-"

"The woman Lexa won't shut up about?" The brunette, Lily, asked. "Welcome to the family!" She grinned as Lexa turned red and glared at her. Lily shook Regina's hand, looking her up and down. "Make yourself at home. Any friend of Lexa's is a friend of mine until you piss me or her off." Lily continued into her room to go change and Emma politely dipped her head to Regina, but something about her made Regina...uneasy.

"How long are you going to be staying?" Emma asked.

"3 weeks." Regina answered.

Emma looked at Lexa. "What happened to our rule?"

Lexa scowled and shoved Emma back out the door. Regina crossed her arms behind her back, examining the elegant paintings on the wall while trying to hear the conversation outside.

"Hey Regina." Lily walked back out of her room and pulled Regina to the side. "Listen, I'm sure Lexa is gonna show you her studio next and you might see some...pictures in there."

"Pictures?" Regina arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just...don't ask about Lauren."

"Who's Lauren?"

"Someone Lexa knew. Try not to pry too deep when it concerns her." Lily said, almost pleading. Regina nodded and Lily went back into her room. It left Regina curious to know more but she would follow Lily's advice...for now.

Lexa returned looking annoyed but she quickly took Regina's hand and lead her to the transparent staircase.

"This is very stupid way to make stairs." She commented, mentally patting herself on the back at hearing Lexa's giggle.

"I thought it was cool."

"What if you get hurt one day, dear?"

"I promise you, I won't." They came to a sliding door, which Lexa unlocked and pushed open, pulling Regina inside. "Welcome to my studio." A smile touched Regina's lips. It was so Lexa. One wall was dominated by blank canvases stacked against the wall and a couple easels with a shelf of paints next to it. There was yet another stereo, some bean bag chairs, a lounge chair, another shelf with some books and cameras on it and a small cot in the corner. The walls were decorated with some of Lexa's paintings and drawings. All of them depicted people and beautiful landscapes and even a few animals. They were so beautiful and detailed.

"I knew you liked art, but I had no idea you were that good at it. These are amazing." Regina said truthfully. She walked to the window that stretched across an entire wall, letting light pour in and gave her a gorgeous view of the city below. "This apartment is like a penthouse." She turned to look at Lexa, who was smiling and still blushing.

"You really like it?"

"Of course." Regina scoffed. "I'm just wondering how you can afford it. You said so yourself that Lily and Emma don't make enough to-" Lexa hushed her with a finger over her lips.

"I want to draw you. May I?"

Regina kissed her finger. "I suppose nothing would be wrong with that." While Lexa got her supplies ready, Regina walked up to the shelf and looked at the books beneath the cameras. They were scrapbooks, each with a name. One said 'Friends'. "May I?" Regina asked. Lexa shrugged, moving a new sketch pad to the easel and then moving the easel to the middle of the room. Regina opened the scrapbook and couldn't help but smile at all the pictures of Lily and Emma. Lily was in almost every single one, acting silly and any one that Lexa managed to be captured in, she was smiling and laughing. They seemed so happy. She put away the book and became interested in the next one marked 'Lovers'. She flipped it open and the first picture was of Lexa carrying a woman on her back. Regina arched an eyebrow. The woman was remarkably beautiful, sporting vivid green eyes and black hair that nearly reached her knees. At the bottom of the picture were two signatures: Lexa and Lauren. More pictures of her and Lexa followed, taking up almost the entire scrapbook. "Who's Lauren?" Regina asked, offhandedly.

Lexa came to her side, looking down at a picture of the green eyed beauty. "My ex...fiancee."

Regina's eyebrows rose. "What happened?"

Lexa's eyes clouded over and her face took on a pained expression. "I...I don't know." She quickly turned back to gathering her supplies and Regina dropped the subject, although she made a mental note to talk to Lily later on.

She continued on through the scrapbook. There were pictures of a couple more exes, a redhead and a blonde, but they only had one or two pictures. Their names were Rebecca and Kara. The last few pages of the book depicted Lexa's last girlfriend. It was an elegant woman with light brown hair. She was always dressed in regal dresses and suits and wore tons of jewelry and makeup. At the bottom of her page was a name. It wasn't signed, just in print. "And Victoria? She seems a little like me."

"She's **nothing** like you." Lexa assured her. "She wasn't a **real** queen, just acted like one. On top of that, she was fucking crazy. That's why we had to move from California. She was acting kinda stalker-ish."

"And I'm a real queen?" Regina asked, closing the scrapbook. She turned around to face her young lover.

"Yes." Came the simple answer.

"How can you tell?" Regina pressed.

Lexa's answer came with no hesitation. "Because royalty is in your blood. You command respect and admiration by doing little to nothing. Wherever you go, heads turn. People can feel your presence when you enter a room. Everything about you is captivating, from your look to your stance, to your walk. A real queen doesn't have to remind everyone that she is a queen. Everyone knows."

It was Regina's turn to blush at her heartfelt, yet matter of fact words. This woman never ceased to surprise her. Lexa motioned to her to sit, indicating that she was ready to begin. Regina sat down regally and neatly crossed her ankles. Lexa looked up once and started drawing. Her hand moved quickly, yet effortlessly. A couple minutes later she frowned and almost angrily flipped the page. "Smile." She said to Regina. Regina smiled. "Not so hard. Naturally." Regina adjusted and Lexa grinned before starting to draw again. Regina smirked slightly, unable to hold the pose and stifled a snicker watching the blonde's facial expressions as she worked. After about 20 minutes and two more angry page turns, she picked up a blank canvas and brought out her paint, telling Regina to switch poses. Regina relaxed back on the lounge chair, turning her legs away from Lexa but her head towards her. Lexa came to adjust her hair or tilt her head further.

"This won't be long." She tucked a strand of hair behind Regina's ear. "You have amazing hair, by the way."

"Thank you. It used to be much longer."

"I think you'd look good with longer hair. Then you'd probably look good bald. Why'd you cut it?" Lexa asked, taking a seat behind her easel.

Regina scoffed. "Time for a change, I suppose." After Lexa's words she made the silent decision not to cut her hair again.

Lexa set to work and Regina relaxed. An hour sped by without her even noticing. Lexa kept her well entertained with corny jokes, questions about her job, Henry and their plans for tomorrow. She wanted to just lay in bed and cuddle and watch a movie about lions and kings or something, but Regina didn't know how to be lazy. Doing nothing drove her crazy. She felt unproductive.

"Regina, being lazy is fucking amazing." Lexa said. "You can move now, by the way." She got up to put away her supplies and Regina stood up to stretch. She ran to the easel to see her lover's creation and her jaw slowly dropped. She thought painters spent hours on their artwork to create masterpieces but Lexa had done that in little over an hour. Every line was perfectly placed, every stroke, every brush, every dot of color.

"Lexa, I don't...I don't know what to say." She looked up at Lexa's bashful smile. "This is amazing. I feel like I've said that a thousand times today, but it's true. You have a gift."

"Thanks, Gina." Lexa looked down, blushing.

"Did you finish one of your drawings?" Regina asked, picking up the sketch pad. She flipped it open and was surprised. Apparently when Lexa kept turning the page she was beginning a new drawing. Regina had assumed she had kept messing up, but no. The woman had drawn three different pictures in the span of 20 minutes, each one intricate and detailed to the max. She'd omitted any imperfections on her face, other than her scar. " Where on earth did you learn to draw like that?" One picture was of Regina's head and shoulders, simply sitting, expressionless. The next was of her smiling, soft and sweet. The last was of her laughing, a full on grin on her face. In each picture, she was turned towards the sunlight, highlighting her features to perfection despite the picture being black, white and gray.

"I don't know, just always had the talent." Lexa shrugged. "Do you like them?"

"I love them." Regina smiled. "I really do." Lexa beamed at her words. "May I keep one of these?" The blonde nodded eagerly.

"The painting I want to use for something. If it's okay with you."

Regina shrugged, tearing out the picture of her smiling. Lexa brought out a kind of very large envelope for her to put it in and she pressed it to her chest with a smile, already imagining where she was going to hang it up in the mansion.

"What do you say we head downstairs and rustle up some grub?" Lexa asked, walking to the door. "Maybe then I can stop blushing at everything." Regina heard her mutter, making the queen smirk. Regina placed a hand on Lexa's shoulder for balance as she followed her down into the living room where Lily was relaxing on the couch and Emma was searching the refrigerator for sustenance. "Anything good?"

"Nope. Looks like we need to go shopping." Emma said, straightening up. Regina felt her eyes follow her as she went to put away her drawing. When she returned, Emma and Lily were putting on their coats. Lexa handed them a list.

"Need anything, Gina?"

Regina shook her head. "I wouldn't want to-"

"Regina, money is no concern. You are a guest in my home and you won't be spending a dime while you're here. Let's get that straight right now." Lexa said sternly. "You know what, let's all go."

They made the trip to a nearby WalMart in Lily's black Dodge Charger. Regina really didn't want to impose and use Lexa's money, but the blonde wouldn't hear it. Regina never specifically asked for anything but if her gaze lingered on an item for too long, Lexa knocked it into the shopping cart and kept walking. That night Lily and Lexa made tacos for dinner. Regina had never had them before but they were delicious. Afterwards she wanted to shower and get ready for bed. Lexa lent her use of her private bath and she got changed into a silk nightdress. She smoothed back her damp hair and stepped out of the bathroom. "Where do I sleep?" She asked.

Lexa froze when she saw her. "You know what, Regina, I don't think this is going to work. You can't keep attacking me like this. It's cruel."

Regina rolled her eyes and kissed her cheek. "Hurry back." she said, smirking as Lexa rushed into the bathroom to hurry up and shower. She returned half an hour later in shorts, a tank top and with her hair freshly blowdried and pulled into a ponytail. She was so beautiful without makeup. And them legs!

"You're a leg girl?" Lexa asked, sitting down on the bed.

"For yours, yes." Regina replied. "Now, where do I sleep?"

"Right here. With me." Lexa crawled into bed and lifted the sheets. "Come on." They were interrupted by Lily walking in and handing Lexa some pills and a cup of water. Lexa rolled her eyes and took the medicine. Lily left again without a word.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, they're just vitamins. I don't always remember to take them." Lexa shrugged.

"Oh. Okay." Regina could sense that there was something else going on, but she didn't comment. Especially with how sad it seemed to make her friend. The queen moved next to Lexa, sliding beneath the sheets. "Lexa? Dear?" She smiled when bright green met hers and she leaned forward, burying her face in Lexa's neck, evoking a small laugh out of the younger woman. Regina pushed her on her back and leaned over her. "I admit I missed a lot of things growing up with my lunatic mother but I am adept at a couple things."

"And what is that?"

"Cuddling." Regina smirked, snuggling up to the Polynesian princess. "And this." She placed a gentle peck on Lexa's shocked lips. Just to see if it would be reciprocated well. When Lexa tried to chase her lips, Regina crawled over her, fully kissing her, deepening it and invading the mouth below her to explore its every nook and cranny with her tongue. It was their first kiss. Even though Regina wanted something more romantic, something special for her girl, she wanted to make her happy and get her mind off of whatever had upset her. The way Lexa responded to her touch and was moaning within moments, it turned her on like nothing ever had.

"Mmm, damn." Lexa whispered. "You weren't kidding."

Regina bit her lip, grinning. "Thank you, Baby."

"Mmm, call me that again."

"Nope, time for bed." Regina rolled over and snuggled beneath the sheets. Lexa wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, spooning her from behind and providing a little extra warmth and comfort. It took no time at all for Regina to fall into the best sleep of her life.

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Read and Review!

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes. Also, the song played during the beach date is Moonlight by Ariana Grande.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina was the first to wake up the next morning. She was still wrapped in Lexa's loving embrace. She smiled and turned over to look at Lexa's beautiful early morning face. The sunlight shining in through the window lit Lexa's skin and hair on fire. Blonde wasn't her natural hair color, she could tell by the dark roots and dyed ombre of the strands, but it suited her well. She gently smoothed Lexa's mane out of her face and noticed the wetness on her cheeks. Her baby was crying in her sleep. She wiped away the tears and leaned forward, kissing Lexa's forehead.

"Ugh, Gina, it's too early." Lexa whined.

Regina checked the time. "It's 11 o'clock."

"I told you we're being lazy today."

Regina smirked and started kissing Lexa all over her face and neck until she started laughing. She couldn't explain it. Lexa just made her feel so young and alive! Something she hadn't felt in a long time. "Come on, lazy bones."

"Babe, we have all day to do stuff. This is your first lesson in being lazy. Go back to sleep."

Regina flopped down but she made sure to cuddle as close as possible to her bedmate. Lexa nuzzled her neck and was asleep soon again. It took a little while longer for Regina to follow in her stead, but she eventually managed. The two didn't get up until that afternoon and even then it was only to fix a couple bowls of cereal and get right back into bed to watch movies. They were mostly disney classics. Regina particularly enjoyed the Lion King, although she despised Snow White and Seven Dwarves. They actually didn't even finish that one because Lexa wasn't very fond of it either. After those, they watched newer movies like Avatar, the Hunger Games, Divergent, King Kong, Fast and Furious, Mad Max, The Dark Knight, the list went on. They spent the entire day just doing that and Regina had to admit that it was refreshing. To do nothing. To have to worry about nothing. To just relax. She hadn't done that in years.

The day after that, Lexa took her to one of the most prominent malls in New York and took her on a shopping spree. She bought Regina anything she wanted, but with one rule. For every thing that was bought Regina had to give her one kiss. The queen saw no problem with that at all. But the clothes was only the beginning. By the time they were done they had to rent a van for everything. This was turning to out to be the best 3 weeks of her life!

/

Emma scowled, sitting to the kitchen island and trying to finish some paperwork. Regina and Lexa were laying together in the hammock, laughing incessantly and kissing. It was annoying to say the least and starting to piss her off.

Lily snickered as she came in to pour herself something to drink. "Lovebirds getting on your nerves?"

"Yes, very much so."

Lily leaned on the counter next to the blonde. "You don't like Regina?" She asked softly.

"I don't trust her. Something is...off about her. She reminds me of Victoria."

"No, Victoria was a fucking lunatic. Regina's like that calm 'oh shit' kind of crazy."

Emma sighed. She didn't know why she didn't want to trust Regina. After all, the woman had done nothing but make Lexa happy since the two met. That was all Emma wanted. For Lexa to be happy. Hopefully with someone that deserved her. But Regina unsettled her for some reason. "You ever gonna tell me the truth?"

"About what?"

"The medicine. Lauren. Why you nearly beat the shit out of me just because I mentioned her name a few weeks ago. Care to enlighten me?" Emma asked.

"If you need to know, I'll tell you." Lily replied with a pointed look. "Until then, drop it."

Emma glared at the brunette when she went back into her room to get ready for work. She closed her computer and buried her face in her hands. A touch on her shoulder made her look up into bright green eyes that were looking at her with concern. "Hey."

"You alright, Em?"

"Yeah, just a lot of work. You?"

Lexa burst into a face eating grin as she glanced back at Regina, lazily watching tv. "Couldn't be happier. We're going to some museums tomorrow and then we're gonna go horseback riding. She's like ridiculously good at it."

"Sounds like fun."

"I think I might buy her a horse one day. Hey, we should all go out this weekend and show Regina the bar scene." Lexa suggested, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "Would you come?"

Emma smiled. "Anything for you, kid."

"Great! Thanks, Em. I'm gonna go tell Lily." She raced off into Lily's room, barging in without even knocking.

Emma smiled until she heard Regina chuckling in amusement. The brunette was relaxing on the hammock in one of her new dresses, an elegant royal blue gown and her fingers and arms were covered in priceless diamonds. Emma got up and walked over to the hammock. Regina's eyes were closed. She didn't stir but she did ask a question. "Can I help you, Emma?"

"I just wanted to warn you." Emma said lowly. "If you hurt Lexa in any way-"

"I won't." Regina interrupted, opening her eyes. "I wouldn't dare."

"You're damn right because if you hurt her I will make sure that the police never find your body. Got it?"

"You're wasting your time." Regina said, looking Emma in the eye. "And mine as well."

Emma glared at her, about to say more, but Lexa chose that moment to return and climb into the hammock with Regina, kissing her cheek. "Everything alright?"

"Fine." The other two women said in unison. Emma grabbed her laptop and went into her room for the night. She settled down on her bed and pulled her computer back up to do a little research. "Let's see. Where can I find Storybrooke, Maine?"

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Bars and clubs were not something Regina was used to. She had created the Rabbit Hole for a bit of a nightlife in Storybrooke, but had never gone there nor found a reason to do so. She had been dreading the weekend, but once they let Lexa and Lily loose you could either enjoy the ride or get left behind. Their first stop was the nightclub Lily worked in where they spent a good 2 hours just dancing and drinking. Their second was a lounge bar and the third, an irish pub. Regina quickly decided she liked the pub the best. It reminded her of the Enchanted Forest. More so than the others. And she liked the bar games, the darts, the drunken dares, the drinking contests, the singing and dancing on the tables. She won every game at darts, although she did almost take a guy's eye out when she tried to play drunk. He was kind enough to buy her a drink afterwards. Pool was a game that she found she couldn't play at all...when sober. While intoxicated she was a fucking pro.

It was a pretty wild night. And even after almost 6 hours of partying, Lily convinced them to have a shot contest after they stumbled into the apartment. Then...a Complete Blackout.

/

When Regina's blackberry started ringing she grabbed it and nearly crushed it. Her head was absolutely throbbing and she felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her skull. "Hello? This better be good."

"Mom?"

"Henry?! How are you?" Regina sat up in bed with some difficulty.

"Great. It's awesome here. I learned how to swim and we went white water rafting yesterday. It was so much fun!"

Regina smiled. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"Are you? Having fun, I mean."

"Yes. A lot of fun." Regina assured him. "You're going to have to meet Lexa when you come back."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, I have to go. We're going camping." Henry said excitedly.

"Don't forget your sunscreen and your bug repellant." Regina said.

"I got it, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, Little Prince. Be safe." She ended the call and smiled to herself before collapsing back into bed.

"You are such a mom." Lexa grinned without opening her eyes and Regina attacked her with kisses until she was begged to stop. She fell on top of Lexa, nuzzling her neck and sighing contently.

"Thank you, Lexa."

"For what?"

"For making me feel like me for once."

"Oh. Well, you're more than welcome."

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2 weeks later, Emma grinned as she shut the front door. Regina was finally gone. She could have the whole house to her and her roommates yet again. She was surprised to find Lexa in the living room wearing a sports bra and spandex doing lunges. "Since when do you work out?"

"Since I met Regina." Lexa replied. "I've got to stay in shape for my woman. Make sure she keeps those pretty brown eyes on me."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You look beautiful, Lex. You don't need the extra work. Any woman would kill to look half as good as you do."

"Thank you, but beautiful isn't good enough." Lex paused mid lunge to look at her phone. "Speaking of my queen." She pressed a button and spoke to it before saying send. It sent her message, allowing her to continue working out and text Regina at the same time.

"How long have you been doing this?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. Like 20 minutes. Why?"

"Take a break." The blonde pulled off her vest and hung it up to the door. Lexa flopped down on the floor and Emma tossed her a bottle of water from the fridge. "So, you said Regina works where?"

"She's a mayor, but it's in a tiny town that I've never heard of."

"You never tried to look up this town and see where it is?"

"Why would I? As long as there isn't some woman trying to steal her away from me then I don't care about the town." Lexa picked up her phone to read the next message. "Just the sexy little vixen running it."

"What if she's lying?" Emma inquired.

"Why would she lie about being a mayor if she wasn't one? That's not a job people use to impress someone- Holy...shit."

"What?"

Lexa motioned to her phone and Emma came around to look at the picture message. It was of Regina in red lingerie, no makeup and her quickly growing hair slightly wet and brushing her shoulders. Emma rolled her eyes. "Fuck me. How dare she send-" The phone dinged and Lexa let out a blood curdling scream that made Emma cover her ears. "Stop! Don't send! Wait!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Lily demanded, coming out of her room with a bat.

"Lexa accidently sent a message to Regina saying 'fuck me'." Emma answered. Lily burst out laughing while Lexa tried desperately to call Regina and rectify the situation. Regina ignored her calls.

"Oh my god, what if I scared her away?" Lexa asked. "Shit. Shit. shit. Shit!"

"Alexiana!" Lily snapped, silencing the younger woman. "Relax."

"Your name is Alexiana?" Emma frowned.

"Yes."

"Relax, Lex." Lily reassured her."You and her are gonna be fine."

Lexa looked back down at her phone as it pinged. "Oh god. She wants me to meet her."

"Then go meet her." Lily said.

"Oh fuck." Lexa ran into her bedroom and Emma could hear her frantically throwing things around it and cursing even more.

"They are ridiculously cute." Lily grinned.

"There is no Storybrooke." Emma said.

"There is." Lily replied. "You just can't find it so easily."

"You mean you know about it? Why the hell are you being so damn cryptic?" Emma demanded. She was ignored as Lexa came sprinting out of the bedroom in jeans and a tank top. She fumbled to put on her shoes and raced out without so much as a good bye.

/

Regina smirked as she paced the hotel room in her favorite heels and a long coat. She would've liked to just teleport to Lexa's room and do exactly as she asked, but she didn't want to mess up the one rule between the three friends. That rule prohibited sex in the apartment because apparently Lily had ruined that privilege. Regina was nervous and excited and anxious. She couldn't stop pacing. With a deep breath she reminded herself how crazy Lexa was about her. That was why she sent the text, right? But what if she didn't really mean it? Regina sighed and looked around the candlelit bedroom. She wanted it to be special. There was champagne chilling in the corner, chocolates, strawberries, flower petals everywhere, candles, the whole works. She picked at her fingers until she heard the knock on the door a little while later. "Here goes nothing." She opened the door and leaned against it, smirking at Lexa's awestruck look.

"Regina, about that text. I-I didn't mean to send it." Lexa said. It crushed Regina's hopes instantly, but Lexa continued rambling, brightening them again. "I mean, would I like you to fuck me? Hell yes, who wouldn't. But you said you're not good with love and I didn't want to rush you. I'm perfectly fine with waiting until you're ready. But I mean-" Regina put a finger over her lips to hush her babblings.

"So, you mean I did all this for nothing?" Regina stepped to the side to allow to see and enter the room. Lexa's jaw dropped...just like Regina's coat. "Do you want me to fuck you?" She asked.

"No." Lexa whispered, still looking around. "I want to make love to you."

Her answer was a bit of a surprise, but Regina only smiled. "Then do it." Lexa turned around and almost tripped backwards when she found Regina in nothing but her red lingerie and matching heels. "Let's do it then, Lexa."

"A-are you sure?" Lexa wanted to confirm. Regina nodded eagerly and squealed as Lexa suddenly picked her up and slammed her on the bed. "Dreams really do come true. You know that?"

"I do now." Regina smiled. It had been several years since she had been with anyone. According to Lexa, it had been almost 2 for her. Tonight, all desires would be met, hungers sated and thirsts quenched. Tonight, Regina was going to take her time with her younger lover. She wanted to be the best Lexa had ever had and ever will have. All of the others-Lauren, Victoria- tonight they didn't matter. It was just them. It was probably the most intense love Regina ever made. But once the lovemaking was done, the fun could begin.

Lexa was dripping with sweat as she walked over to the corner to gulp down a glass of champagne. Regina was stretched across the bed, aching for one more release. "Come on!" She snapped.

"Regina, I have to refuel." Lexa snapped back. She popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth before walking back over to the bed. Regina drank in the sight of her with a pleased eye. She was in good shape, not really muscled, but still strong. She had great breasts too. They filled Regina's hands perfectly.

Regina rolled onto her back and Lexa was quick to dive between her legs, her favorite position. She kissed Regina's left thigh before licking her name on the side of the other. With that, she dove head first to Regina's core, licking her like a lollipop. Regina moaned, arching her back. When Lexa slid two fingers into her she nearly screamed.

"I'm close, baby." Regina whined. Lexa added another finger. She was so close. Fuck, Lexa was hitting all her sensitive spots. Then...she stopped. Regina sat up, glaring at a smirking Lexa. "What are you doing? Come on, we said no teasing."

"Be my girlfriend." Lexa said.

"What?" Lexa curled her fingers and Regina's eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"Be mine." Lexa said. "Say that you will."

"Y-yes. Whatever you want." Regina panted. "Just please…" Lexa grinned as she went back to pleasing her queen. It took very little for Regina to reach her climax. They had been going at it all night and both seemed to have incredible stamina.

"Wow." Regina sighed as Lexa curled up next to her. "That was amazing."

" **You're** amazing." Lexa retorted. She let out a content sigh and intertwined her fingers with Regina's. She placed a tender kiss to the back of the queen's hand and rolled closer into her arms. Regina turned her head to look her in the eyes. "Regina?"

"Yes?"

"I'm in love with you."

Regina swallowed, but she was really too spent to be nervous right now. And besides, she already knew how she felt about the woman in her arms. "I'm in love with you too."

"That's good." Lexa said, burying her head in Regina's neck. Regina chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Um, Gina? I think I should tell you how I have so much money."

"You stole it."

Lexa immediately sat up and looked at her critically. "How did you-"

"It seemed the most logical reason. You paint a lot of paintings but rarely sell them so the money didn't come from that. Lily doesn't make a lot from her job, it's mostly for her entertainment. Emma doesn't make a lot either. Considering the size of your apartment, you either robbed a bank- something we both know that you're too lazy to do- or you stole the money from somewhere that was accessible. I'm guessing your parents."

Lexa's jaw dropped. "Well damn. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it."

"You were, it's just that little gets by me." Regina shrugged. "I've done much worse in my time, so don't feel bad about it."

"What do you mean?" Lexa asked.

Regina shook her head. "It's nothing, just...a past of regrets that I wouldn't change for anything. Because of that past, I'm here...with you."

Lexa smiled. "You make me feel things I haven't felt in a long time."

"Same here." Regina pulled Lexa back down and slid down further so she could lay her head on her stomach. It also gave her perfect access to Lexa's legs, which she could touch as much as she wanted. There was something she had to do. She sat up and drew her tongue along Lexa's thigh and let out another content sigh.

"Did you just lick my leg?"

"Yes, I did." Regina smirked, sitting up so she could look down at Lexa. "Baby, I need you to know something."

"You're married and you'll let me kill your husband because you want us to be together."

Regina rolled her eyes and flicked Lexa on the forehead. "No, you fool. I'm trying to be serious for a second."

"This is a lot of talking for post sex bliss." Lexa commented. She ducked when Regina raised her hand to flick her again. "Okay, I'll stop. What is it?"

"I want to make you a promise." Regina said. "I don't know how to love very well. I don't know how to just be. But for you, I want to learn, I want to try. This, with you, is the greatest thing I've ever experienced. I **can't** promise that I won't do something to mess this up. I...always do. I usually ruin everything good for me. But I want to make you this promise, that I'll never stop fighting for this, for us." Lexa swallowed, her eyes sparkling in the dim light. "I will make mistakes. I will do something stupid. I might make you upset. But at the end of the day, you helped me become...myself. I didn't know who I was until we met." Regina got up to get her coat and pull the ring out of the pocket. Daniel's ring. Her most prized possession. Lexa's eyes went wide when she explained the significance of it. "No, this isn't a proposal or anything. Just a promise." she slid the ring onto Lexa's finger, feeling a streak of possessiveness run through her. Lexa was hers now. And she was Lexa's. She wanted something to work out for once, and if it wasn't this relationship, she didn't know what she would do. But she didn't know what would happen if Lexa ever found out who she really was.

A knock at the door interrupted the tender moment. Regina got up and wrapped herself in her coat before answering it. "Lily? Can I help you?"

"Yeah, give this to Lexa, please." She held up a little pouch. "Make sure she takes them."

"Her _vitamins_?" Regina asked.

"Yep."

"Lily, you know we're going to have to have a serious talk about this. No one goes to such lengths to take vitamins and we both know Lexa isn't that stupid to believe that's what these actually are. What are they?"

Lily sighed. "They help. That's all you need to know for now. As long as they help Lexa, I'm gonna make sure she keeps taking them. Now, drop it."

Regina glared at her but took the pouch of pills and slammed the door. She walked back to the bed and dropped her coat.

Lexa noticed her change in demeanor. "Who made the puppy mad?"

"Puppy?" Regina frowned.

"Yeah. The puppy who thinks it's a wolf." Lexa smirked. Regina tossed her the pouch and Lexa rolled her eyes, but dutifully got up to go take them.

"Do you know what they really are? What they're for?" Regina asked.

Lexa shrugged after she finished. "They haven't killed me and they don't bother me, so I don't really care. It appeases her, so I just don't fight it."

"Aren't you curious? Or worried even?"

Lexa pulled her back into bed. "Lily would never hurt me. I trust her. One day, you will too." She assured her, kissing the top of Regina's head as the former queen curled into her. "Now, let's get back to the post sex bliss because I'm gonna want another round in a little bit."

"You're insatiable." Regina sighed. "Good. I need someone to keep up with me."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review! Sorry for any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

1 year later…

Regina parked outside the apartment complex and almost leaped out of the car with her gifts. Henry had to rush to follow her as she all but sprinted into the building and into the elevator. "Do you think she'll like my present?"

"Mom, you could give Lexa a rock and she would still love it." Henry said.

Regina smiled and ruffled his hair. She bounced in her heels until the door opened and she power walked down the hall to apartment 47. She pulled the key off her neck and unlocked the door. Lily and Emma were both standing in the kitchen, holding weapons. Regina was instantly put on edge and she quickly walked in, ready to destroy anyone that dared to threaten her newfound friends...and Emma. Lexa was standing in the kitchen, facing a woman Regina had never met, but knew enough about. Victoria. The woman was immaculately dressed in a flowing red gown with a very low neckline and pounds of jewelry. She might've been pretty too, were it not for the mask of makeup she wore.  
"Get the fuck out of my house!" Lexa roared, bristling angrily. Regina had never seen her so irate before. Sure she had snapped once when a group of guys had hit on Regina while they were visiting a festival on the boardwalk. That was nothing like this.

"I had to track you all the way across the United States just to speak to you." Victoria snapped, gesturing to all of the gifts on the kitchen island, presumably from her. There were a dozen bouquets of roses, boxes of chocolates, bottles of champagne and wine and new art supplies. "I came to apologize."

"No, you stalked me just to find out who I was seeing. And it's none of your damn business. Take your shit and get the fuck out!"

"You heard her." Emma snapped. "Get out or I'll arrest you right now."

Victoria scoffed. "You're just a glorified bounty hunter. You won't do shit. I can buy you and your agency 10 times over." Her eyes fell on Regina and the former queen was glad she had dressed up for this special occasion. She was in a one of her Evil Queen dresses. A floor length royal blue one with diamonds sewn into the fabric and a back made entirely of the priceless gems. Her hair was neatly curled at the ends and her makeup had been perfectly applied. "Who are you?"

"Regina Mills." She motioned for Henry to get behind Emma and Lily and approached Victoria, stepping right into her face. "You were looking for Lexa's new girl? Well, you found her. Now get the hell out of this apartment before I throw you out myself."

"You're not going to do anything-" Her words were cut off as Regina grabbed her by the throat and dragged her to the door. She dropped the woman outside and calmly stepped over her and back into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind her.

Lexa nodded to Lily, who went outside and returned with a metal trashcan. Lexa threw all of Victoria's gifts inside it and lit them on fire. "Crazy bitch."

"Happy February." Regina commented.

"And you." Lexa pointed at her and ran to her, lifting her into the air. "Such a badass."

Regina giggled and kissed her lips. "You know it."

Lexa smiled. "Happy February. I got your gift."

"Me too."

Because Regina's birthday was February 1st, Valentine's Day was the 14th and Lexa's birthday was the 27th, they had decided to make it a tradition and celebrate everything at once and the entirety of February became their special holiday.

Lexa put Regina down and raced into her bedroom, returning with a wrapped canvas and a box with holes punched into the side. Regina handed her girlfriend her own box and Lexa gave her hers. Regina excitedly tore open the box and gasped at the sight of the beautiful cream colored puppy with one brown eye and one blue eye.

"It's a golden retriever and husky mix." Lexa said. "I thought it was pretty and she can keep you company when I can't."

Regina smiled as she picked up the puppy and held her. She lifted her chin when the little thing tried to lick her face. "She's so cute. I guess great minds think alike."

Lexa raised both eyebrows and opened her box. Inside it was a puppy. Regina had done extensive research to try and find dog breeds native to the polynesian islands, but most native breeds were extinct or they were already well known dogs that could live anywhere and Regina wanted to find a unique dog breed. In the end, she chose a Rhodesian Ridgeback mixed with a border collie. The puppy was a dark gold with four black paws and a splash of white on its chest. It also had brown eyes. "We have to go shopping. What do you think I should name him?" She asked. Before anyone could offer any suggestions, she made her decision. "Akela. You know, like the wolf from the Jungle Book."

"Perfect." Regina smiled. "But what's that?" She nodded to the canvas.

Lexa put down Akela so he could explore his new home and moved to show Regina the picture. It was one of Regina herself, similar to the one Lexa had drawn the first day she had visited. This one was even better, even more detailed and colorful. "I submitted this to the Met a few days ago and guess what?"

"What?" Regina cocked an eyebrow.

"They want to buy it for $300,000 and display it in the museum!" Regina leaped up to hug her girlfriend. Lexa was then mauled with hugs from the others. Regina had honestly forgotten they were here. "And...wait for it. I'm taking you all on a summer vacation to Tonga!" This caused more screams of happiness and Lexa carefully put the painting away before rejoining the others. "What are you going to name your puppy, Regina?" she asked, sitting back on the floor to play with Akela.

"Lola." Regina answered. "I'm so happy for you, Lexa, and so proud of you."

"Thanks, Gina. Now people can appreciate some true artwork." She beamed.

After a quick trip to the pet store to get the necessary things for the pups, Regina decided to give Lexa the next part of her present. It was a necklace from her days in the Enchanted Forest; a gift from her father. It was small and thin, with only a few diamonds, but it had a lovely locket on it, which Regina had already put her picture in. Of course Lexa loved it, but she was pretty sure Henry was right about the giving her a rock thing. The 5 of them on a vacation in paradise? What could be better?

Regina and Henry spent the night at the apartment and the next morning saw no one up until at least 12. Regina had just finished cooking breakfast when everyone else dragged out of bed. Her eyes quickly sought Henry before moving on to their next target. Lexa ran her fingers through her mane of hair and was caught off guard when Regina ran and leaped into her arms, locking her legs around her lover's waist. "Good morning." Regina smiled, pecking her lips.

"Hmm, Good morning to you too." Lexa grinned, carrying her to the kitchen table and sitting down.

"Hey, hey. We eat here." Lily said, fixing herself a plate.

Regina got off of Lexa and kissed the top of her head before going to fix them plates of breakfast. "So, what is in store for today?"

"Henry wants me to show him the studio and teach him how to do a little painting." Lexa said with a smile. Henry nodded, mouth full of pancakes.

"I plan on doing absolutely nothing." Lily added.

"Same here." Emma voiced.

Regina smirked. "That's good. Lex, I have to go run some errands. Do you mind if I use your refrigerator to store some things?"

"Regina, you don't have to ask me for anything. So stop it. My home is your home." Lexa smiled.

After breakfast, Lexa and Henry went up to the studio and Emma went into her room. Lily was about to go into hers, but Regina stopped her. "You and me need to talk."

"We do?"

"I want to know about Lauren and the pills."

/

The pair went out to Lexa's dance studio and Regina watched Lily lock down the place and put some kind of little black box in the center of the room. "What's that for?"

"Just in case little miss Victoria bugged the place. Emma's gonna call the police later and let them know she violated the restraining order and make sure Lexa's not being followed."

"Why is she stalking Lexa?" Regina asked.

"She's one of those people who doesn't know the word 'no'. When she and Lexa met, they seemed great together. She was kind of a snobby bitch, but she was good when she was with Lexa. Until she started treating Lexa like more of a possession than a person. Lexa's not the type to get angry and to fight but she likes her freedom. That's something she will fight for." Lily pulled some mats across the floor, building them up. "Anyways, Victoria wasn't happy about someone leaving her and she started following Lexa around. When she couldn't do it, she had some guys do it, to make sure Lexa wasn't seeing someone else. If Lex so much as talked to another woman, Victoria's goons threatened them and Lexa missed out on a lot of friends and potential girlfriends because of it. It got so bad that Emma shot two of them and after that we moved from California to Texas, stayed there for a year, and then to here. We had to change our phone numbers, cars, license plates, our names at one point."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Give me 5 minutes with her in a dark, empty room and she won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Lily chuckled. "I'll bet." She finished piling the mats and sat down on them. Her smile faded and her expression became deathly serious. "Listen, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Not Lexa, not Emma, not even Henry. No one really knows what happened but me."

"So what happened? Why doesn't Lexa remember?"

Lily raised her hand for silence. "Lauren and Lexa were best friends since they were in diapers. They grew up together, according to Lexa, and as time went on, gradually they became more than friends. Because Lexa's parents are extreme homophobic bastards, she and Lauren were only together secretly. They were still together when Dinah died and Lexa ran away. Lauren ran away with her. They were just 18 when we met."

"So you knew Lauren as well?" Regina asked.

"Briefly. Not long after we got settled in Cali, Lexa and Lauren went to the movies. You know, for a movie date. On the way back, they got chased by a gang of guys into an alley."

Regina immediately scowled. "Did they hurt Lexa?"

Lily nodded. "They beat her up pretty badly. She had some broken ribs, a fractured jaw, broken arm and a black eye. She fought hard, but...Lauren had it a lot worse. She had been raped and beaten and cut and…" Lily shuddered, her eyes growing darker as she recalled the dark memory. "They made Lexa watch and they were going to do the same to her, but someone heard the screaming, called the cops and the guys took off before they could. Lauren died in Lexa's arms that night and the next morning after they were found, Lexa couldn't remember any of it. I mean, she knows something bad happened, she just doesn't know what. A week after that she had these horrible nightmares and the medicine she takes helps her sleep. At night she would scream and claw at everything, like she was back in the alley fighting to save Lauren. She sounded so broken and helpless." Lily sighed. "The doctors called it Dissociative Amnesia. Her mind was repressing the traumatic event, but at night she had nightmares about it, like...she wanted to remember what happened but her mind wouldn't let her. I don't know how to explain it."

Regina took a deep breath, trying not to cry. Her heart was pounding and her eyes were burning. Her fingers were itching to light something on fire. "Tell me you caught those sons of bitches."

"We got most of them." Lily said, nodding. "They won't see the light of day again."

"Does Lexa know that Lauren is dead, at least?"

Lily nodded. "She knows but she doesn't know why. She never asked. All she knows is one day the love of her life was there, and the next she wasn't. I wanted to tell her the truth but I was advised not to because it could trigger the memory of that night and that could just cause even more problems." Regina frowned. "Look, she's not crazy, she's just...She had a bad night."

"That's an understatement." Regina scoffed, starting to pace. She had no idea Lexa had been through something so terrible. She was so carefree, so full of life. No one deserved that. No one deserved to lose the love of their life in such a brutal way. It was a blessing that Lexa didn't remember it. "She still cries in her sleep." She whispered. She had always wondered why.

"Again, no one knows about this." Lily reminded her.

"Why wouldn't you tell Emma?"

"Because she would try to tell Lexa. And it's none of her business."

Regina nodded. "I won't tell anyone. But you do realize that one day Lexa is gonna have to know, right?"

Lily nodded. "Just not today."

"Is that it?"

Lily looked down, seemingly conflicted. "The medication blocks more than that memory." She sighed. "Lexa's not what you think she is."

/

Regina returned to the apartment, thoughts swirling from all she'd just been told, and made her way up into the studio. She found Lexa relaxing in one of her bean bag chairs, drawing on a sketchpad, while Henry sat in the other looking through a scrapbook. She shook her head to smile at seeing her lover sketching away with her book, face contorted in the cutest frown of concentration.

"Your sister is really pretty." He commented as Regina tiptoed over to peek over his shoulder. It was the one marked 'Family'. He was looking at a picture of Dinah, who looked so similar to Lexa they could've been twins. They even dyed their hair the same color. The only main differences were that Dinah was a little taller and her eyes were hazel, not green.

"Which one?" Lexa asked, without looking up.

"Dinah."

"Oh. Yeah, she was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as me." Lexa replied.

Regina smirked. She liked when Lexa talked about Dinah. She just lit up when she spoke of her older sister, who she looked up to like she was a celebrity. It was a shame she had died as well. Regina would've liked to know her. She would've liked to know Lauren too though. At the reminder of the lost girl's name, Regina quickly crossed the room and fell into the bean bag chair, almost on top of Lexa, for a hug.

"Gina, you okay?" Lexa asked, looking confused but returning the affection nevertheless.

"Yes. I just love you. So much."

"I love you too."

Regina kissed the top of her head and slid to the floor as Lola and Akela raced over to greet her.

"Where'd you and Lily go?" Lexa inquired.

"Just to find out how we can get Victoria off your back." Regina lied smoothly. She hated lying to Lexa. It made her stomach turn. She scratched Lola behind her ears before the pup went chasing after Akela and a little ball he was playing with.

"Why do you keep these?" Henry asked.

"Keep what?" Lexa frowned.

"These pictures. Of your family and of Victoria. I thought they were bad memories for you."

Lexa nodded. "Some of them are. But just because there are bad memories involved with someone, doesn't mean you should forget the good ones. You should try to grab as many good ones as possible. Never let them go."

A comfortable silence fell over the trio and Regina leaned back, closing her eyes as she rested her head against Lexa's leg. This truly was where she felt she needed to be. She didn't know that in less than a year, everything would come crashing down around her.

/

Tonga was the most beautiful place Regina had ever seen. It had a piece of Lexa in it. Her girlfriend didn't hesitate to fill them in on Tongan culture and food as they made the drive to the beach houses she bought. There were two of them. One for Regina and Lexa and one for the other three. As much as it was a vacation for all of them, it was also a dream date for Lexa and her girl.

The first day was spent unpacking and resting from the jet lag. The next, they went to the beach and Lexa busted out her surfing skills. She gave Regina a quick lesson and the queen was very proud of herself for staying on the surfboard for more than 10 seconds. That evening, they joined a bonfire on the beach and danced to the sweet sounds of Tonga. It was amazing.

"I love this place." Regina said, falling onto the swinging chair on the porch next to Lexa. Her lover was stretched out in it, watching the waves nearby be brought to life by the glory of the setting sun. Lexa said nothing as she reached under her and pulled out an envelope. Regina raised both eyebrows as she took it and opened it. In it...were plane tickets.

"You made me a promise last year. Well, I haven't fulfilled mine. I promised to show you the world." Lexa said, looking up at her.

Regina pulled out the tickets, reading each one. Puerto Rico, Italy, Samoa, Hawaii, and Fiji. All of the places they were from. There was also ones for England, Ireland, Alaska, Brazil, Nigeria, Croatia, India and Australia. "A-are you serious?"

Lexa nodded. "This is the world. A start to it anyway. You deserve it. Hell, if I had enough money to get you to the moon, I'd pay for it in a heartbeat." Regina sniffed. She didn't want to cry. This probably cost a fortune and she had idea how much money Lexa had left. Lexa touched her cheek and looked her in the eyes. "You're invaluable to me now, Regina. Priceless. I will spend every dime I have and every moment of my time, just to make you happy. Just to see you smile. There is nothing in this world I find more beautiful."

"Damn you, Lexa." Regina got off the chair and quickly rubbed her eyes. "Lexa, I can't. With Henry and school-"

"I talked to Henry." Lexa said, sitting up. "We can get him set up in online courses. Take breaks between each trip so you can go home if you need to. Whatever it takes. Please?"

Regina scrunched her nose, struggling not to cry. In the end she ran into Lexa's arms and burst into tears. "Of course." She wasn't sure she could've said no anyway. Not to Lexa. To Lexa, her answer would always be yes.

Tonga was just the beginning. The entire next year was spent traveling to all these other countries and meeting all these people. It was almost overwhelming at times. That year truly made a difference. Regina forgot about her worries with Storybrooke. She didn't think about the town once during that entire year of bliss. Lexa eclipsed everything effortlessly, even Henry at times. She consumed everything.

There was nothing not to love about Lexa. From the way she gave you her undivided attention when you spoke, but she got so distracted by every little thing when it was her turn to speak. The way she adored music and loved to dance. The way she covered her smile when she grinned or laughed too hard. Adorable but annoying. Her smile was beautiful. Her childish nature, her carefree spirit, her complete devotion to Regina. The way her hair was so thick and framed her face like a lion's mane. The way she blushed when complimented but compliments always rolled off the tongue with ease. The way on their birthdays she considered it her duty to wipe icing on the birthday girl's face and ultimately starting a cake fight. The way she chose to let little things go and keep going with a smile. The way she liked to help people and loved animals. The way she cursed in other languages when she was annoyed. Those legs that she loved to show off at all times. The way the gods had poured all of this perfection into one person without a thought as to the heart attacks it would give Regina in the future just to see her everyday and kiss her and hold her hand and be with her every night. Lexa was becoming her everything. But she knew the peace would never last...

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It started when they got back from their blissful trip to Australia, the last destination on their world tour. As much fun as it, Regina was glad to be back in her own bed. Then 3 days later... Henry pulled away. He started acting strangely around her, refused to talk to her at times and was even spouting stuff to his teachers and friends about an Evil Queen and curses. She knew then that her time was up, but she would do everything she could to protect what she had built. Then one day...he was gone.

She called Graham first and then Lexa. "Hello? Lexa?"

"Yeah babe? It's like 10 o'clock at night, what are you doing up? Thought you had to go to work."

"Henry's gone!" Regina wailed. She walked back and forth from his bedroom to the front door, silently begging Graham to hurry.

"What?! What happened?"

"He was really quiet today." Regina said, pacing back and forth. "And I didn't even notice until a little while ago. Lexa, he's gone. He ran away."

"You told him, didn't you?" Lexa asked. "About being adopted."

"Yes, last night. Now he's gone." Regina whimpered.

"What can I do? Do you want me to come there and help you look?"

"No, I have half the town looking for him. I just...I don't know what to do."

"Okay, first of all, take a deep breath. Go fix a glass of cider, down it, and sit down. I'm sure he's fine."

Regina did as she was told but as soon as Graham came she was on her feet again. "Lexa, the sheriff is here. I'll call you back when he leaves, okay?"

"Okay, babe. Keep me posted and relax. Everything is going to be fine."

"Okay. I hope you're right." Regina hung up and rushed to the door. She threw it open and fell to her knees at seeing Henry. She pulled him into her arms and looked up at Graham. "Thank you, Graham."

"I didn't find him, Madame Mayor. It was actually Miss Swan."

Regina froze. "Miss Swan." She stood up and Graham stepped aside.

Emma moved forward. "Hey Regina. Or is it...Evil Queen?"

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx..

Read and Review! Sorry for any mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

She was now at a disadvantage. Regina hated this feeling. She was in debt to Emma for bringing back her son but now she knew about Storybrooke. Henry told her the truth. She could tell Lexa and ruin everything. The former queen was now pacing the foyer coming up ways to save her relationship and her curse. But did she really care about her curse that much anymore? She hadn't decided. Emma had only been in town for 2 weeks and hadn't contacted Regina once, but she didn't need to. Regina could feel her curse crumbling around her, every meticulously placed cord of magic being unwoven from the web that had taken nearly a lifetime to create. Emma was the savior and it was her destiny to break the curse. Then again, all of this sounded crazy, Lexa might not even believe her. But then she might try to bring Lexa here.

"Fuck!" Her cry of frustration echoed throughout the empty house. Henry was never home anymore. He was always running off with Emma. Regina took a deep breath. She needed to get back in control of the situation. This was **her** town, it was **her** son, **she** was the mayor. **She** still ruled.

Her phone started ringing and she quickly walked into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello?"

"I'm surprised you answered." Lexa said. "Everything alright?"

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"Why would you think that?" Regina asked.

"Because you haven't answered my phone calls in a week. I was worried sick."

Regina sat down to the kitchen table. "I'm sorry. I've just been so preoccupied."

"With?"

"I...can't tell you. I'm sorry." Regina sighed.

"You know, um, our anniversary was two days ago."

Regina froze and looked up at the calendar on the wall where she'd marked their anniversary date with a big red marker. **Fuck!** She couldn't believe she had forgotten the one thing she had been thinking about and planning for all month. "Damn it. Lexa, I am sorry-"

"Stop apologizing please." Lexa said. "It's okay, Gina. If something is going on, I just want to know everything's okay."

Regina sighed. "No, everything's not okay, but it will be soon. I'm just trying to work through some things. Let me make it up to you. Why don't you let me take you out?"

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow to...go home. Victoria found out my parents' address. Apparently I have a little brother and I want to meet him. They've agreed, and they're not even pressing charges for the $10 billion I stole. Didn't even notice it was gone, I don't think."

"Victoria?" Regina scowled, completely ignoring everything else that was said. "Why the fuck are you talking to her?"

"Because she answered the phone." Lexa replied. "And I can't find Emma. Besides, it was just one phone call. She's kept her distance since you threw her out."

"So you're just glossing over the fact that she's keeping tabs on your family?"

She heard Lexa sigh. "This is why I wanted to talk to you during our anniversary. You're a lot better with this kind of stuff. Look, I just want to meet my little brother, let him know he has another sister out here if he needs anything. I don't care about the rest, and I don't care about Victoria." She paused for a moment. "And I wanted to visit Lauren's grave. I haven't in awhile and...I've been thinking about her a lot. Maybe, see her family too." The sadness in her lover's voice caused Regina's scowl to melt away. She hated when Lexa thought about Lauren because it made her so nostalgic and sad. Especially when she didn't know what really happened.

"This sounds like a pretty big trip."

"I know. But it's okay if you can't go with me. I understand what with having a son and being the mayor. I have Lily."

"No, I want to…" Regina stood up to pace again. She didn't want to leave what with the curse being unraveled and Emma trying to steal her son. But she wanted to be there for Lexa. "Are you home, baby?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'll be there in an hour." Regina hung up and went to go change clothes. She put on some jeans, her heeled boots, a short sleeved white shirt and her coat. She grabbed her phone and called Sydney and Graham. She commanded them to watch over Henry and text her if anything were to happen. She climbed into her car and drove out to the town line. She threw up her hands and teleported straight to New York where she purchased three bouquets of roses, the most expensive bottle of wine she could find, a box of chocolates, balloons, which she tied to Lola's collar, and a new camera that she had bought weeks ago for this specific occasion. She carried everything to Lexa's apartment and knocked, hoping she'd bought enough gifts.

Lily was the one who opened the door and she didn't look too happy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's okay, Lily." Lexa called.

Regina stepped in and closed the door behind her. Lola ran to greet Lexa and Akela on the couch and she untied the balloons from her collar. "Lexa, I am so sorry I forgot our anniversary. I promise I'll make it up to you, baby." She dropped to her knees in front of Lexa and presented her with her gifts. "Forgive me?"

Lexa smiled, accepting the flowers. Regina placed the rest on the floor and rested her chin on Lexa's knees, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. "Okay." Lexa sighed. "I suppose I forgive you." Regina squealed and leaped into her arms, kissing her lips happily.

"We have a 9 o'clock flight, Lex." Lily said with a glare at Regina. "Head to bed early. You know how you are in the mornings."

Lexa nodded as the brunette walked into her bedroom. "So…" She said. "Shall we have sex or nah?"

"Of course." Regina scoffed. She laughed as Lexa carried her into the bedroom. "Wait, what about the rule?"

"I had the walls thickened."

"Seriously?"

"No, I bought Lily soundproof headphones." Lexa grinned, dropping to her knees in front of the bed to remove Regina's shoes. Regina all but threw off her coat and ripped off her shirt. She tossed her bra to the side and lifted her hips when Lexa roughly yanked down her pants and panties. The blonde grinned, burying her face between Regina's legs. Regina let her head fall back against the sheets as Lexa worked her magic. The woman's tongue had to be magical all by itself.

"L-Lexa, no fair. You always do all the work." She whined, squirming on the satin sheets.

Lexa actually growled at her attempts to get away. "You know the rule, Regina. Me first." With an almost sadistic grin she plunged three fingers deep into Regina, making her arch off the bed, bottom lip firmly clenched between her teeth and eyes squished shut. "You are incredible." Lexa placed a loving kiss on her thigh and continued her minstrations, slowing her pace and allowing Regina to fully enjoy herself. Unbeknownst to Regina, Lexa took their lovemaking as seriously as she did eating and drinking to stay alive. To her, Regina was a work of art. Every inch of her. Everything she did. To watch Regina like this, writhing, shaking, moaning, it was an experience Lexa wanted to see and feel just after it had occurred. And she felt this feeling all the time, because in this state, Regina was free, relaxed, open and bare. Everything in her past was stripped away and there was nothing left but this gorgeous woman calling Lexa's name. A true work of art. When Regina came she arched so high off the bed Lexa thought she would snap in two. The sight was something that would forever be burned into her brain.

"You bitch." Regina panted, smiling. Lexa licked her fingers, climbed over top of her and kissed her lips. "My turn. Get naked." She commanded.

"Yes, my queen." Lexa grinned, quickly stripping and climbing back into bed. She rolled onto her back and Regina assumed the position between her legs, except Lexa made sure to give her a little squeeze with them.

"That is how I want to die." Regina giggled. "Crushed between these beautiful thighs." She giggled again. "Choke me with your thighs, baby. I bet some people would pay for that."

Lexa threw her head back and laughed. It died on her lips when Regina gave a slit a long lick. "That was evil."

"Maybe." Regina smirked up at her. She pushed Lexa's legs into the air, just so she could look at them. The lamp's dim glow hit them just right. "Baby."

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you more than anything, right?"

"Yes. And you know I love you?"

Regina smiled. "Yes. Do you remember my promise?" Lexa held up her hand, showing her the ring. "Good. Don't forget it. Every word I said, I meant." Lexa nodded firmly. Regina sighed contently. Good.

/

It was midnight when Regina dragged out of bed to check her phone. No new messages. That was good. Henry was okay. She put on Lexa's robe and walked into the living room where Lily was sitting, nursing an untouched beer. "Emma is in Storybrooke."

"Does she know?"

"Henry is trying to convince her but she doesn't believe. Yet." Regina sighed, sitting in the chair across from the younger brunette. "I'm sure it's only to spite me anyway."

"What are you going to do?"

"Go home and try to stop that stupid blonde from ruining everything." Regina answered. "What else is there to do?"

Lily looked up. "Go to Oregon with Lexa. Meet her family, her little brother. Regina, the curse was never meant to last forever. She wants you to go with her."

Regina shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "And I want to go with her. But if I leave-"

"You might be happy?" Lily frowned. "You're never in that stupid town anymore. You're always here. With her. What more do you need?"

"My son." Regina scowled. "Emma is trying to take my son from me. I won't let her."

Lily sighed. "Don't break my friend's heart."

"I'll be here when she gets back." Regina scoffed. "She knows how I feel about her and we'll talk all the time. You're overreacting."

"No, is Storybrooke that important to you? More important than she is?"

"It has nothing to do with Storybrooke anymore. It has everything to do with the son I raised for the last 10 years. Henry is **my** son. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't fight for him?"

Lily shook her head sadly. "Don't break your own heart either, Regina."

Regina frowned at her words. She stood up and walked to her coat, hanging by the door and pulled out the scroll. "Are you gonna tell what the hell is going on now?" She held it out to Lily, who quickly took it and unrolled it.

"It's about my mother." Was her simple answer.

"Your mother is in Storybrooke?"

"Indeed. And I'm gonna go get her as soon as we get back."

"Well, who is she?"

Lily looked up at her. "When the curse breaks, and we both know it will eventually, ask your stepdaughter. She'll know."

Regina frowned again. She had always known that Lily knew much more than she told or lead anyone to believe, but she couldn't think of anyone of significance having had a child before the curse broke. Except Snow. What had she done to Lily when she was just a baby?

"Why haven't you told Lexa about Emma?" Lily asked. "You could just tell her and Lexa can make her heel with a snap of her fingers. She's always been like that, ever since they met."

"Emma's made her bed by fucking with a queen. If anyone is gonna bring that bitch to heel, It'll be me." Regina scowled as she spoke with conviction. The former queen decided to retire back to bed. Lexa hadn't stirred in her absence. Regina dutifully wiped away the tears that always managed to fall. Maybe Lexa was becoming immune to the medicine. Maybe that's why she had been thinking of Lauren so much lately. Maybe it was time for her to remember what happened.

"Gina, what are you doing up?" Lexa's eyes suddenly snapped open and moved up to Regina's face.

"Thinking."

"About what?"

Regina sighed. "Henry's birth mother came to town. He, um, actually went to find her because he couldn't stand me being his mother anymore."

A look of concern crossed the face of her young lover and Lexa sat up, flicking her hair out of her face. "What? That's what's been bothering you? Why didn't you tell me? Give me the word and I'll let loose Lily to go fuck somebody up."

Regina laughed, but Lexa's face was quite serious. "That's not necessary. I-I'm handling it. It just...I feel like I'm neglecting you trying to deal with all this other bullshit."

Lexa scoffed and kissed Regina's forehead. "Regina, we've been together for what, 2 almost 3 years now? Just because we don't talk for a week won't make me love you any less."

"It's not good enough. You deserve to be given all of me." Regina pulled her legs up to her chin. "And I can't do that. If I choose you...I could lose my son. If I choose Henry, then it wouldn't be fair to make you wait for me while I settled this. I knew everything was too good to be true. It feels like one long dream come true that turns into a nightmare."

"Don't say that, Regina. Look at me. I'm here. I'm real. **This** is real." Regina looked up into Lexa's eyes. "What are you saying? That you want to break up?"

"Of course not. It's just...things are gonna get harder from here on out."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And it did. She made the choice to stay in Storybrooke, and while Lexa was gone, Regina devoted her time to trying to stop the savior from undoing her curse, but with every step forward she took, Emma seemed to push her two steps back. She woke David from his coma, she saved Snow/Mary Margaret from being falsely imprisoned because of Regina framing her for murder, and she even managed to steal Graham's loyalty by getting him to fall in love with her. Everything was falling apart at the seams and Regina instituted last ditch moves of desperation. It only ended with Graham being killed and Henry put under a sleeping curse meant for Emma herself.

Regina slammed Emma against the wall with a forearm over her throat. "Why couldn't you stay away?! Why couldn't you just stay in New York?"

"Because you are evil." Emma hissed, pushing her off. "My son was afraid of you so I came to help him and look what happened. Because of you. I never trusted you anyway. I knew you were bad news."

Regina punched her in the jaw as hard as she possibly could. "This is all your fault. If you had just-"

"Henry didn't want an evil queen for a mother and I don't blame him." Emma roared, rounding on Regina with fire in her eyes, but Regina was not afraid in the least.

"Maybe so but why still would he want the woman who abandoned him all those years ago? Huh? Just like your parents did you. **I** was there! I changed all the diapers and packed his lunches and endured the temper tantrums and stayed up late at night to chase away the monsters under the bed. **I** did that! And you really think you can just show up in my town, take my son and step into my shoes. My heels are diamond studded and would cut those dirt encrusted ape paws you call feet." Regina said. She took a deep breath and looked around at all the nurses staring at the enraged mothers. She quickly walked away from Emma and took another deep breath. Moments later Gold came and gave them a cure. Or well, a way to cure Henry. They needed to take the elevator in the library down to the dark tunnels below. He had hidden their quarry years ago in the belly of a beast. Maleficent, the Dragon Queen. Emma grabbed a sword but Regina stopped her.

"It won't be necessary."

"I'm about to fight a dragon and you want me to go in empty handed."

"She has no fire left." Regina said solemnly. She didn't know what it was that had broken the ancient woman to the point where she did nothing but waste away. Her kingdom had crumpled, her castle went unkempt, she had razed a quarter of her own territory and attacked Snow's castle in a bout of rage, almost severely injuring herself in the process. The cause of which, no one knew. Maleficent wouldn't fight, Regina knew. And she didn't. When Emma returned she wasn't even out of breath. Mal had coughed up the large funny looking egg and laid back down with her back to the first visitor she'd had in over 2 decades. She made no attempt to break free. Gold however, made every attempt to betray them. He had been waiting and sufficiently knocked out both women to steal his prize and disappeared.

When Regina came to, she scowled. She groggily back to her feet, stumbling to the door just as the pink cloud of magic descended on the town. The son of a bitch had brought back magic. She ran to the hospital, hoping against hope that it had somehow revived Henry. But no, he was still asleep. Emma returned, rubbing her head and wincing but fine seemingly. Regina watched her bend over her son and kiss his forehead. She watched her curse being broken before her very eyes. She watched as the last strand was undone. The nurses that had once looked at her with concern not an hour ago, now looked at her with contempt and pure hatred. She rushed over to Henry and looked him in the eyes.

"Henry. No matter what anyone tells you, I **do** love you." She said, hoping that he believed it. She ran out of the room and was suddenly grabbed. Something hard, probably a foot or a knee, hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. One of the doctors grabbed her arms and another hit her hard in the gut.

"What are you going to do now, Evil Queen?" One of the nurses hissed in her face before smacking her.

Regina struggled and lashed out with her magic. It was enough to get them away but she was in so much pain she only collapsed to the ground afterwards. She teleported away to her house and sunk to the living room, coughing up a blood onto her pristine white carpet. She shakily pulled out her phone to call the one person whose voice she desperately needed to hear. It took a few rings for Lexa to answer. "Lex?"

"Gina?"

"Lexa. I just needed to hear your voice." Regina sighed.

"Why? You sound out of breath. Something wrong?"

"Everything is wrong." Regina replied, looking up with a smile as Lola waltzed into the room and licked her cheek. She scratched her behind the ears and groaned as she sat up.

"Ooh, babe, do that again." Lexa said.

Regina smirked. "Baby, we might not talk for a while. I just wanted to warn you."

"Why?" Lexa asked. "Why is it that when something happens, you shut me out, Gina? Let me help. Do I need to come beat the shit out of the birth mother? What's her name and social security number? Matter of fact, just give me the name. I can figure out the rest."

Regina chuckled and winced instantly after doing so. "Please, don't make me laugh. I love you, Lexa. So much it hurts."

"I love you too. So much it feels amazing." The girlish giggle that accompanied her words made Regina's heart melt. But it didn't last long, fore she could hear the mob gathering in the street, coming straight for her.

"Do you remember what I told you our last night in Ireland?"

"Yes?"

/

 _They were in Ireland, in a small hotel on the outskirts of Dublin. The sweet sound of a violin drifted in through the open balcony from below. The room was rustic and simple, but it had its own charm. Regina lay naked on the bed, listening to the violin music after a good shower following a long day of sightseeing. Lexa stepped out of the bathroom and Regina smiled, looking up and watching her as she towel dried her hair. The younger woman was naked as well, still dripping wet._

" _Want to try some haggis tomorrow?" Lexa asked, bending over to use the towel to dry the rest of her body._

" _I'm pretty sure haggis is a Scottish dish." Regina said, rolling onto her back, enjoying the view._

" _Is there much of a difference?"_

" _Why don't you go downstairs and ask someone if there is a difference between Ireland and Scotland. I guarantee they probably kill you." She smirked._

 _Lexa giggled. "I know haggis is Scottish. I mean, it's food. I may not know a lot of things, food is my specialty. We can just fly to Scotland and get us some then."_

 _Regina frowned slightly. "You're very intelligent, Lexa. Thought you said you were salutatorian at your high school."_

" _I was, but I had Dinah do all my english and history work." Lexa giggled, crawling onto the bed. "I was good at math and science though."_

 _Regina turned to grab her bag next to the bed. "I got you a gift." She said, pulling out a cd and tossing it over her shoulder. Lexa caught it and jumped up on the bed, laughing. "Do you like it?" The former queen chuckled._

" _I love it. You were the one who got the last Celtic Woman cd." Lexa glared playfully at her before falling into her arms for a thank you hug and kiss. "You're the best, Gina."_

" _No, you are." Regina smiled as Lexa settled in her arms, closing her eyes and enjoying Regina's warmth. "Lexa?"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _I feel I should...warn you."_

 _Lexa sat up and looked at her. "What do you mean? Warn me about what?"_

" _This won't last." Regina answered. The fear of the curse breaking had almost left her mind completely, but it was still there. The fear of losing everything she cared about. "One day this will end and you'll know the truth and you won't ever look at me the same way again."_

 _Lexa placed a tender kiss to her forehead. "I don't care." She started to sing a song that Regina had never heard before._

Something inside us knows there's nothing guaranteed  
Yeah, girl, I don't need you to tell me that you'll never leave, no  
When we've done all that we could to turn darkness into light, turn evil to good  
Even when we try so hard for that perfect kind of love, it could all fall apart

And who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone?  
Oh I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have  
And I know it'll kill me when it's over  
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now  
Love me now, love me now  
Oh, love me now, oh, oh, oh  
Love me now  
Love me now, love me now  
Love me now  
Oh I don't know how the years will go down, it's alright  
Let's make the most of every moment tonight

 _Her deep and raspy tone sent shivers down the brunette's back and soothed her fears...for the time being."Regina, I don't know what it is you're so afraid of." Lexa whispered. "And I know you're a private person, but you_ _ **can**_ _talk to me about stuff, you know. You're right. I'll never look at you the same way again. Because every time I look at you, I fall more and more in love. You become more and more beautiful. So don't doubt me. Give me a chance, okay?"_

 _Regina smiled at her, kissing her lips. "I love you so much."_

" _I love you too. And if this does end, then...it'll have been the best time of my life." Lexa beamed._

 _Regina kissed her again and again and again. Lexa giggled when she was pushed onto her back and Regina climbed on top of her, kissing her everywhere. She wanted to pay her for those heartfelt words. She wanted to pay for this incredible relationship. "I love you, Lexa. More than anything, and so much that it scares me." She couldn't stop kissing her lover. "I love you." Lexa giggled under her outpour of affection before returning it tenfold._

/

"Are you ending this?" Lexa asked. Her tone completely changed and Regina heard it.

"No, I...just...everything is falling apart and I needed to hear your voice."

"You know that you can call me. Anytime. I don't care if it's 2 in the morning, you fucking call me, okay?"

Regina smiled, ignoring the yelling from outside. "I'm gonna keep my promise, okay?"

"I know you will. What's all that noise?"

"I have to go. Sext you later." Regina hung up and got to her feet, conjuring a black sword. She looked down at it before tossing it to the side. "What do you say, Lolz? One last run?" Lola woofed and Regina smirked as the door came flying open. David was the first one in, trying to hold back the mob, but it was Whale who managed to get around him and he was the first one Lola managed to grab in her teeth. Snow came next, attempting to halt the flood of people trying to shove their way in. She was just too small and there were too many. Regina fought off three peasants and one of those stupid dwarves before being kicked backwards. She tripped and fell back first through the glass coffee table. Everything after that was just darkness.

/

When Regina came to, she was in a jail cell, with Gold calmly standing over her on the other side of the bars. "I should kill you." He said.

"Get in line." She scoffed, not even bothering to try and get up. Everything hurt too much.

"How dare you imprison Belle, then release her and give her to that mutt." He hissed.

Regina laughed weakly. "Belle isn't a possession, you fool." She took a deep breath and got to her feet, wincing with every move she made, but that didn't stop her from walking to the cell door and looking Gold in his eye. "Ruby will love her like you never would. There is only one thing Rumpelstiltskin loves. His power. His **little dagger**." He suddenly reached through the bars and clamped a hand on her throat, lifting her off her feet. Regina only rolled her eyes. "You're a monster, who likes to make other monsters." She spat.

"What makes you think you're any less of a monster than I am? Any more human than I am?" He asked slowly, glaring at her with such venom that anyone else would've paled at the sight. Regina was not simply anyone else. She knew this man as well as she knew herself.

"Monsters are good at pretending to be human." She countered. He suddenly dropped her and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. "If you're gonna kill me, Rumple, go ahead and do it, please. I don't have the time."

"No. I had lovely plans of doing it, but since you want to die...I won't kill you. I'll let you do that yourself." He grinned sadistically for the briefest moment. "Or I could take it out on your girl? Regina didn't react. Reacting would prove him right and if she had to pretend Lexa didn't exist to protect her, she would. Besides, he didn't know who she was dating. Or at least, she hoped… "Lexa Kane, was it?" The door of the cell flew off and knocked him onto his back and Regina stood on it, grabbing his cane. She moved the cell door and cracked Gold repeatedly across the back with it until it broke.

"If you lay a hand on her, I will destroy you!" She roared. Gold lashed out with his magic, slamming and pinning her against the wall, but he was unable to hold the spell against a very irate Regina Mills. She kicked him hard in the side of his head and raised her hands, making a cracking motion. A tortured scream erupted from the Dark One's throat as pain flooded his leg, mimicking the injury that gave him that stupid limp.

"Regina!" The heroes rushed in and tackled her to the ground. "What the hell are you doing?" Emma exclaimed.

"He threatened Lexa." Regina hissed. She punched both Emma and David to get them off of her. "He deserves to die!" She conjured a fireball and was prepared to light her tormentor up for even daring to speak the name of her beloved, but she was stopped.

"Mom!" Henry called. "Stop." Regina turned to her son and leaned forward. "Heroes don't do this."

Regina took a deep breath, appearing to calm down. Henry even smiled. "...No." She turned back to Gold, but the fool had taken the chance to get away.

"Mom, stop, please." Henry pleaded.

Regina sighed, knowing Gold had gotten away for now. "Where is my dog?" She asked the idiots.

"At the pound." David said. "Look, you're still on lockdown-"

Regina scoffed. "I don't have time for this."

"Henry, why don't you go get Regina's dog for us?" Snow asked sweetly. Henry nodded and took off, leaving Regina with the banes of her existence.

"We had a town meeting while you were out." David said, trying to sound all authoritative. "The consensus was almost unanimous. They want you killed."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Is this supposed to be news?"

"We've decided to banish you." Snow said.

"And Henry?"

"He'll stay here."

"You can't just take **my** son from me just because your daughter gave him up and suddenly regrets her decision." Regina snapped. "Who do you think you are?"

"And you think you're a better mother than me?" Emma demanded. "You're a murderer, a tyrant, a-"

"You gave him up!" Regina roared. " **You** decided you didn't want to be a mother. I raised him. If not for me, he would've grown up in the same fucked up foster homes you did. Tell me I'm wrong." Emma scowled at her, but held her tongue. The Charmings just seemed shocked at how easily such profanity seemed to fall from her lips. She blamed Lexa. "I'm not going to die anytime soon but I'm also not going anywhere. Not without my son."

"Your son doesn't want you anymore." Emma snapped. "That's why he came to find me."

"He's a child." Regina scoffed. "He doesn't know what he wants. I am his mother. The sooner you realize this, the better."

"The mother who killed Graham?" Emma scowled.

"The mother who was there for the past 10 years!"

"Enough!" Snow yelled. "Regina, we can't-"

"I don't care what you can or can't do." Regina said lowly.

"The only way you can stay is if you promise Henry to never use your magic again."

"Henry." She rolled her eyes. They were using her own son against her. Some heroes. There was a bark from the door and Regina's favorite golden girl came running into her arms. Lola licked her cheek and Regina smiled as she picked the rapidly growing dog up in her arms. She teleported straight home and fed and watered her. "Good girl, Lola." Her faithful hound had tried to protect her and for that she received bacon wrapped filet mignon for dinner and ice cream for dessert. After a long shower Regina collapsed onto her bed and checked her phone. There were a few texts from Lexa, asking if she was okay. Another showed her holding a very large grape next to her eyes saying _Look at this big ass grape_. The last one was of her holding a Victoria's Secret bag with a one word caption at the bottom. _Surprise_. Regina called her and waited for her to answer, smiling when Lola came in and leaped on the bed, curling up at the foot.

"Hello." Lexa sang in greeting. "It's me. I was-"

"No." Regina said quickly. "I'm not about to sit here and listen to you sing that whole song again."

"Fine then." Lexa snipped...before beginning another song. "I love to see you walk into the room. Body shining lighting up the place. And when you talk, everybody stops. Cause they know you know just what to say. And the way that you protect your friends. Baby, I respect you for that-"

"Lexa."

"You had me at hello. Hello. Hello- sing with me, Regina. It was many years ago. Baby when you. Stole my cool. Cause you had me at hello."

"Lexa!" Regina snapped. A long silence followed before she nearly threw the phone.

"Hello, it is me you're looking for?"

"Are you done?" Regina smirked.

"Yes. Now I'm done. So...how was your day? Anything exciting happen?"

Regina sighed. "No, not much. I think I lost the **reelection** though." She was going to kill herself with these private jokes sooner or later.

"Aww. I told you should've let me help you make some campaign signs."

Regina shook her head with a laugh. "It's fine. It'll give me an excuse to finally leave. I was thinking...what would you say to us moving in together?"

"I would love it. But I have to get a house for us. I want to build one. A perfect one."

"Lexa, we can just buy a house already built-"

"No. If I want to build you a house, Regina, I'm gonna build you damn house. End of story."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You are something else."

"Something amazing?"

"Unfortunately."

Lexa laughed. "Did you get my texts?"

"Indeed I did. Why don't you text me a picture of my surprise?"

"Wearing it now." Lexa hung up and a few minutes later Regina's phone dinged. She opened the picture message and smirked slowly at all the naughty things she was going to do to Lexa in her new attire. It was a red bra, close to bursting with Lexa's ample cleavage. The bottoms were barely more than a string and left both of Lexa's cheeks out. "What do you think?" Lexa asked after calling back.

"I think that was a waste of money because I'm just going to rip it off you."

"Oh really? Then I don't think it was a waste. How soon can you get here?"

Regina sat up quickly and shrugged out of her pajamas. "Give me an hour. Maybe half if I don't get caught."

"See you then."

Regina rushed to get dressed. Lola bounded after her, suddenly wide awake, as she ran to her car and started it up. She swerved her car, tires screeching, out of the driveway and out of Storybrooke. She made a couple stops to buy Lexa some flowers and some handcuffs. She sped to a side road and used magic to teleport straight to the apartment. She knocked on the door and it was quickly opened by Lexa.

"What the hell are you doing, opening the door in that?" Regina shoved her back inside and closed the door, locking it.

"You really did fly here." Lexa grinned devilishly at the sight of the fuzzy handcuffs.

"Yep. Couldn't wait to get to you." Regina picked up Lexa, making the younger woman squeal in surprise.

"Damn Daddy, you're so strong."

"You're not the only one who's been working out for her woman." Regina countered, walking into the bedroom. They had to shoo Akela out of the room before they could really get started. Regina was quick to remove her clothes and tackle Lexa onto the bed. This was the most glorious relationship she'd ever been in. Lexa...was simply too amazing for words.

/

Screaming. Lexa screaming. It was the most horrible sound Regina had ever heard in her life. She felt like someone was clawing her heart out of her chest. "Lexa!"

"Regina!" The cry broke Regina's heart. The darkness around her cleared and she felt rough hands pushing her face into the pavement. She struggled, tried to use magic, anything to get free and find Lexa. She looked up and found Lexa in front of her, pinned to the ground by Gold, his dagger to her throat.

"No!" She screamed, fighting against her captors. She looked back into the eyes of Emma, Snow and David. "Emma, please!"

"Regina!" Lexa screamed. Regina looked into her eyes as Gold drew the dagger slowly across her throat. Regina struggled again, as hard as she possibly could, but she just wasn't strong enough.

"This is what happens when you defy the Dark One." Gold hissed. "I told you I would destroy her. And once she's done bleeding out I'll destroy you."

Regina was released and she immediately crawled to Lexa. Her baby was struggling to breathe, choking on her own blood. "Lexa, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Regina!" Lexa and Lily screaming awoke her from the nightmare. Regina looked around wildly, panting, cold sweat drenching the bed around her. Lily and Lexa both had tight grips on her arms that would probably bruise and Lily was sporting one on the side of her neck.

"W-what? What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare. You were going crazy." Lily said. She released Regina and went to go get an ice pack for her neck. Regina quickly scrambled out of bed and into the shower, hoping to wash away the memory of that terrible dream. She leaned back against the wall as the tears started to flow. Warm arms wrapped around her and held her. Lexa turned off the water but still held her.

"Gina? What was it about?"

"You." Regina whispered. "You..." She couldn't bear the thought of ever losing Lexa. And Gold...He threatened her, he threatened to hurt her, he-he- he killed her-"

"Hey, Regina, don't think about it. Think about….um, horseriding. Tell me about Rocinante again." Lexa suggested.

Regina couldn't help but smile."We're sitting in the shower, naked, wet and talking about a horse."

"Well, it's not the weirdest thing we've ever done. Remember the time we ate camel?"

"That was the most disgusting thing you've ever gotten me to eat." Regina's scrunched up her nose at the memory of that trip. Lexa kissed it.

Her girlfriend sat with her for almost an hour. Never complained once. She kept Regina's mind off of her nightmare with corny jokes and little jokes about their adventures together.

"Lexa, I'm a little scared." Regina admitted.

"Of what?"

"Of losing you. You are this beautiful, perfect fantasy and, I'm just this fucked up person. I'm not meant to be happy and the longer we're together just reminds me how one day you'll be taken from me. I know it and it scares me. It scares me because you mean so much to me. I mean, Henry told me he wanted to stay with his birth mother and the thought of losing him doesn't quite compare to losing you. I love him, with all my heart, I do, but you are...something else. I'm scared of what that is."

"What?"

"A happy ending."

XXxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review! Sorry for any mistakes.


	6. Chapter 6

Lily pulled up to the lavish house with raised eyebrows. It was big and white with large pillars on the porch, a gorgeous green lawn, and a white sidewalk. She could hear Common Kings, Lexa's favorite band, blasting out of the windows and it brought a smile to her lips. She parked and got out. The walkway to the door was lined with small pebbles and lights. The front door was unlocked so she walked in and smiled at seeing Lexa moving furniture and dancing. The inside of the house was as pristine and lovely as the outside. The furniture was modern and neat, colored white and black. The kitchen was similar, except its color scheme was red and white with a black granite counter. Lexa's paintings were everywhere. A spiral staircase lead upstairs and Lily was tempted to check out where it lead but her presence was noticed and Lexa chose that moment to almost tackle her in a bearhug.

"You made it!" Lexa squealed. The blonde was in jeans shorts, a tank top and her hair was held back with a purple bandana. She looked beat, but happy.

"Of course I did." She looked around. "I thought you said you and Regina just started talking about moving in together last week. How the hell did you get this so quickly?"

"I've been thinking about asking Regina this like a year ago." Lexa scoffed. "I started having this built then because I wanted to surprise her. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Crazy in love." Lily smirked. She enjoyed seeing her friend so happy. Lexa had never been so truly excited and vibrant the way she was now. Regina was good for her. The Evil Queen was good for her…

"What do you think?" Lexa asked. "Too much? Too little?"

"For a queen like Regina? Perfect." Lily took a seat on the couch and Lexa curled up at the other end.

"You know, I don't want you to spend the rest of your life taking care of me." The blonde said, looking at Lily critically. "I kinda feel like I was holding you back."

"Holding me back from what?" Lily asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you could have gone to college."

"So could you." Lily retorted.

"Touche." Lexa nodded. "You know, there's a house next door. It's open." She suggested with a shrug. "You can have your own lair, have as many people over as you want. This town has a great night life. Awesome beach right up the street. Unless you want to see the world or something."

Lily shook her head. She liked her life. She liked to have fun and let loose and now that her partner in crime was moving out she would need to find something else to do. She had gone with Regina and Lexa to several places around the world and Lexa was kind enough to take her to Vegas for her birthday, but she was done traveling for now. Soon, she was leaving for Storybrooke to find her mom. "Um, I might've found my mom."

"What?!" Lexa jumped up excitedly. "Where? You have to go see her. What are you waiting for? Aren't you excited?"

"Well, yeah, but...what if I'm not what she expected, or I don't live up to-"

"Lilith, don't you dare. You're amazing." Lexa snapped. "If she doesn't see that then she's as stupid as my mom."

Lily smirked. "Thanks, Lex."

"Always. Now, let me give you a tour and you can tell me if I need anything else." Lily smiled as she was dragged around the house. It amazed her the change in Lexa since she met Regina, how devoted she was to the older brunette. It wasn't enough for Lexa to make those she loved happy, she had to know why they were happy, why they smiled. She was just amazing when it came to the people she cared about. Afterwards, Lexa called in a pizza and they sat back down on the couch to eat and talk. "So are you going to stay in the apartment?" Lexa asked. "I paid it off for the next 2 years so you and Emma should be fine."

"I don't know." Lily shrugged. "But as long as you're happy, so am I."

"Not good enough. You can move in for a while. Regina won't mind. We have like 5 bedrooms." Lexa blushed, looking down. "It'd be weird not having you around."

Lily grabbed her foot and dragged her across the couch into her arms. "In that case, I ain't going nowhere."

"That was horribly incorrect." The infamous clicking of heels made them both look up. Victoria arched an eyebrow. "I did knock."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lily demanded, quickly getting to her feet and fully prepared to rip this bitch apart for following Lexa yet again.

"I'm here to talk to-"

"Have you forgotten the restraining order?" Lily interrupted. "I could have you arrested right now."

"I come in peace." Victoria said. "Besides, I'm not here to talk to **you**." She turned a genuine smile to Lexa and held up a single red rose. "For you, baby."

Lexa put a hand on Lily's shoulder to calm her. She continued forward to accept the rose and whistled to Akela. The young pup came and she gave the flower to him he immediately started whipping his head from side to side, shredding it.

"Rude." Victoria commented.

"What the hell do you want, Victoria? Just because you found me doesn't mean you can show up to my house anytime you want. In fact, Lily go call the police."

"If you will just hear me out, Lexa, you will find that your little girlfriend is not who you think she is. She's-"

"I don't need you to tell me about the woman I love!" Lexa hissed. "You're just a psycho stalker rich girl who can't take no for an answer. Stay away from me. Stay away from Regina. And if I ever see you on my property again, I swear to God that I will rip you apart myself." There was fire in Lexa's eyes. It might've been wrong to think but Lily liked it a little when Lexa got angry. She was often so nice and forgiving that it came as a complete shock to many when she snapped. This time, was different. Victoria had insulted Regina and that was a definite no no. "Get out. Now."

Victoria sighed. "Answer me a question before I leave. How is someone a mayor if they're not even documented...anywhere in America besides the adoption of her son? Hmm? How is that even possible? No social security number, no tax records, no birth certificate. It's like she just appeared. Like magic." Lily stiffened when she said the last word and Victoria was quick to catch on. "Know something I don't, Lily?"

"I know this sounds pretty ridiculous and you need a life." Lily replied, pulling out her phone to call the police.

Victoria raised her hands in surrender. She looked at Lexa. "I'm trying to protect you."

"You have a pretty fucked up way of showing it."

"How am I supposed to when you cut me out of your life?"

"You stalked me." Lexa said. "You harassed me and anyone I was with. How is that love? You wanted me to be your little pet. I couldn't talk to anyone, I couldn't have friends, I couldn't do shit, because you thought you owned me."

"What the hell is going on in here?" Regina's voice boomed from the foyer as she walked inside, dressed in a little black dress and tall red heels. Lola growled until Regina waved her away. She looked between Victoria and Lexa, seeing how worked up Lexa was. She glared at Victoria, eyes narrowing dangerously and voice dropping venomously low. "Get out."

"Sure, Regina." Victoria smirked as she walked past, pausing to get into Regina's face. "If that's even your real name?"

"I am going to erase your name from history if you don't get the fuck out of my house right now." Regina hissed. Victoria only grinned and continued out the door. Regina looked around. "This is my house. This...is my house."

"What are you doing here?!" Lexa demanded. "You weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I don't like surprises." Regina retorted, still looking around. She noticed the gorgeous chandelier over the dining room table and arched an eyebrow. "I feel like that's going to impale me one day." She looked over her shoulder. "Mal! Also, Lily...surprise." A tall beautiful blonde stepped into the room, almost shyly, despite how imposing she appeared in a long black dress. Golden tresses spilled about her shoulders and bright blue eyes instantly fell upon Lily and started to water. Regina walked back over to push the blonde forward. "Lily...this is your mom. Mal, meet Lily, your daughter." Lexa's jaw dropped. She and Regina stepped away to allow mother and daughter to get acquainted. Lexa dragged Regina into the kitchen.

"How the hell did you find her?" Lexa demanded, watching Regina examine the kitchen.

"She lives in Storybrooke. She's an old friend actually. I had no idea she lost a child." Regina replied, opening the cabinets, which was already full of dishes but no food as of yet. "She was very depressed for a long time and we grew apart, but after a small talk with Lily, I put two and two together."

"Regina, that's horribly coincidental." Lexa returned.

"I prefer to call it fate." Regina smirked. She looked around the kitchen and nodded before freezing. "How the hell did you pay someone to build this in a week? And all this stuff...That's why you wanted to go through furniture catalogs."

Lexa blushed. "I wanted you to have your dream house. And I had this built half a year ago because I wanted to ask you to move in with me then but with all the traveling and stuff and things going on back home... "

"I understand." Regina kissing her cheek. "Shall we try out the pool? Or better yet...the bed?"

"No, you need a tour...and to be sexually frustrated during it." Lexa grinned mischeivously as she strutted out of the kitchen.

"Game on, princess." Regina called, following. Lexa gave her a tour of the house and they took a dip in the pool to give Lily and Mal some privacy. The four of them had dinner together and Regina and Lexa even let the two stay in the new house overnight. Regina was reluctant to leave her love, but she needed to get back to Henry. Lexa walked to her to the door and gave her a loving kiss good bye for now.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Every time Regina left Lexa and returned to Storybrooke, her life went from perfect to miserable. With the breaking of the curse she was treated like a social pariah, stripped of every ounce of authority she once had, and harassed almost constantly by peasants who thought the heroes would protect them. Emma was the worst of them all, going out of her way to ensure that Regina was in a living hell. Her only comfort was Henry, despite his bitterness, and the two friendly faces in the forms of Ruby and Belle, her only allies.

Over dinner one night, Regina decided to broach the idea of moving out of the mansion and leaving Storybrooke with her wayward son.

"You want to leave?" He said. "But this is our home. Our family is here."

"You don't want to live with Lexa?" Regina asked.

"I like Lexa, but I like living here." He replied. "What about Mom?"

Regina nearly flinched when he referred to that insipid blonde as his mother, but she didn't comment on it. He wouldn't listen anyway. "Emma can do whatever she wants but according to the law, Henry, you are still my son and if I decide to move, you will have to come with me."

"I don't want to go with you." He snapped, wounding her even further.

Regina sighed. "Henry, it's a great place in Boston. We have a big backyard, a pool, it's near the beach. There's a movie theater right up the street, a great school, plenty of people around. You'll love it."

"I love it here."

Regina sighed again, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Go to bed." She commanded. He barely waited for the words to leave her mouth before he was rushing upstairs. She waved her hand, cleaning up the kitchen and went to bed. The next morning she had breakfast with Belle and Ruby and told them her plan.

"We were thinking about leaving too." Ruby said, sitting on Regina's kitchen counter. Regina glared at her. She was as bad as Lexa when it came to sitting on things that weren't meant to be sat on. It reminded her of a beautiful day when Lexa sat down on a recently painted park bench that hadn't dried yet. She was mad for the rest of the day and annoyed that she had to go home and change out of her cute outfit.

"Really?" She said.

"Yep. Gold is really getting on my nerves constantly following us around."

"He threatened Ruby twice." Belle added. "He won't take no for an answer. If we leave he won't be able to use his magic in the Land of No Magic to find us."

"But **you** can use your magic, right?" Ruby frowned, looking at Regina.

"I wasn't under the curse's effects. Anything in Storybrooke is confined to Storybrooke. I could use something to help you leave and make sure Gold can't find you. It's been awhile since I've used my potion making equipment."

"Thought you weren't supposed to use magic." Ruby smirked.

"I'm a queen, I do what I want." Regina flicked her hair over her shoulder and laughed when Ruby scoffed. Suddenly, she got a frantic call from Emma, telling her to come to the sheriff's station. Regina's first thought was that Henry was in trouble and teleported away in record time. When she arrived, Emma grabbed her and suddenly threw her into a cell. A magical shield went up, locking her inside.

"Emma Swan, what the hell?!"

"What did you do?!" Emma hissed.

"What are you talking about? Where's Henry?" Regina demanded.

Emma. Was. Livid. She unsheathed her gun and cocked it. "I went to the apartment. Lexa and Lily are gone. All of their stuff is gone. Now, what the fuck did you do?"

"Oh. I get it." Regina said slowly. "You've been ignoring Lexa and Lily because you've been so busy fucking with my life." She grinned. "I'm not even surprised. I wouldn't want your sketchy ass for a friend anyway." She put on a beautiful front but inside she was laughing her ass off. Lexa and Lily couldn't contact Emma anyway while she was in Storybrooke due to the magic barrier and the blonde was too stubborn to leave. This was just too precious.

"I should fucking kill you." Emma hissed.

"Oh my gods." Regina rolled her eyes. "What is your problem? Besides all this mess in Storybrooke, what did I ever do to you?" She asked. "Are you in love with Lexa or something?"

"Shut up."

"Is it true?" Regina smirked. "Although, I'm not really surprised by that either. Lexa is the most amazing person in the world."

"And she has no idea who you are." Emma snapped. "I told you what would happen if you did anything to hurt her."

When she raised the gun Regina scowled. The blonde was really on the verge of shooting her. "Don't tell me you're so shocked by this." She went and sat down on the hard cot, neatly crossing her legs. "You're the odd one out, Emma. I mean, Lily and Lexa are practically sisters, they knew each other longer, they tell each other everything. Lexa always went to Lily before she went to you. Tell me I'm wrong. Hell, she trusted **me** more than she trusted you."

"Shut up!" Emma roared, walked to the bars, but stopping just before reaching them.

"I know about Lauren." Regina smirked evilly. "I know how she died. I know about Lexa's medicine. I know everything. They didn't tell you anything, did they? Aw, the poor little orphan thought she had a family." Technically Lexa couldn't tell anyone anything because she didn't remember that significant little fact about Lauren. Lily however, had purposefully chose not to tell Emma simply because she knew Emma's loyalty leaned more towards Lexa than her. And left Emma out of the loop. Not to mention Lily telling Regina the secret and not even bothering with the irate blonde.

Her words completely set Emma off. She pointed the gun at Regina again, sticking her arm through the bars a little bit. Regina crossed the cell quickly and grabbed her arm, yanking her against it. Emma's head bounced off the metal with a loud clank and she crumpled to the ground. Regina pulled the limp blonde to the bars and reached around for her keys. She unlocked the cell and stepped out, pushing Emma back in and taking her gun. She locked the cell and made her way into Emma's office. No doubt the blonde had already started looking for Lexa. There was a little notebook with some bank statements but they were mostly Lily's. Lexa preferred cash, making it even harder to find her. Regina smirked and grabbed the book. She searched Emma's computer but found nothing. She erased everything off of it anyway. She grabbed the keys to the police cruiser and Emma's stupid car and teleported to the lake, throwing them in before making her way home.

"What was that about?" Ruby asked as she walked back into the kitchen.

"I've decided to leave ahead of schedule. After what I just did Emma is going to be very upset." Regina chuckled. "Whenever she wakes up. You guys want to leave right now?" Belle and Ruby exchanged looks before nodding. They hopped up and left and Regina pulled out her phone to call Lexa. "Baby, I need a favor."

"Ask and it shall be yours." Lexa replied dramatically. "By the way, I'm wearing that smile you gave me. I can't seem to take it off."

Regina smirked, feeling her cheeks heat up. "You're cute."

"I know." The smirk faded and Lexa laughed. "I can feel you rolling your eyes right now."

"Anyways...I have some friends who are trying to escape a bad situation. Can they stay with us for a day or two while I get them set up somewhere?"

"Absolutely. Mal and Lily bought the place next door. They are annoyingly so alike, you know that? And they seem really happy to know each other finally."

"I'm glad. Mal needed to get her fire back." Regina smiled. "But thank you for helping me."

"Anytime. By the way...about Mal…"

"What did she do?"

"One: she threatened to rip my head off if I ever hurt you."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I specifically told her-"

"No, I'm okay with that. It means she's looking out for you, so I'm not mad. Slightly terrified though. Anyways, Two: why is she so hot? Have you seen this woman's lips? She must be the best kisser in the world!"

"Excuse me?" Regina frowned.

"Woman to woman, Regina, you know she's sexy."

"I know that but you're not allowed to think any other woman is sexy besides me."

"Then you, Beyonce, Shakira and Scarlett Johannsen need to have a talk." Lexa giggled.

"You better be naked when I get there." Regina growled jealously.

"Regina, you know I will never know any of these people right? And Mal is off limits anyway. You are my one and only and the most beautiful woman in the world to me. You know that."

"I'm a little annoyed with your love of older women."

"Well, we only get older, so the older you get, the sexier you'll be." Lexa replied.

"Aww- No! Don't try to sweet talk your way out of a spanking tonight." Regina said, walking upstairs.

"No, Gina, my butt is still sore from the last time." Lexa whined.

"Nope." Regina said, popping the 'p'. She snapped her fingers to magically pack up all of her things. She sent it out to the car and made her way back downstairs, doing the same here. "I have to go, baby. I need to pick up Henry. How does us moving in tonight sound?"

"Amazing! Duh! What do you want for dinner?"

"Surprise me."

"You don't like surprises." Lexa stated matter of factly.

"I like your surprises." Regina countered. "I'll be there soon."

"Love you."

"Love you too." Regina hung up the phone and went to find Henry. She found him at the idiots apartment. "Henry, let's go. I've decided to move again of schedule."

"Regina, wait." Snow pleaded. "He's our grandson too."

"What if I spend the night one more time?' Henry asked, knowing his mother was unlikely to change her mind. She was one step away from a happy ending and there was nothing that was going to stand in her way. She eventually agreed but told the idiots she would be back the next day at 5 o'clock to collect her son. She drove to pick up Ruby and Belle and teleported straight to the house. Lola jumped out the window and ran inside through the dog door. Regina explained to the pair that Lexa didn't know about magic so they couldn't talk about it or use it. She helped them bring them in their bags and showed them to the guest bedroom before making her into the kitchen where a heavenly smell was flowing from within.

Lexa was sitting to the kitchen island, listening to music and watching Mal and Lily hard at work. Regina peeked over Mal's shoulder, mouth watering at the sight of the stir fried vegetables, the thick steaks and mashed potatoes, all waiting to be devoured. Lily was busy frosting a chocolate cake while her mother finished everything else.

Mal noticed her presence and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Of course, my dear Maleficent." Regina kissed her cheek in return and went to sit in Lexa's lap. "Hey baby." Lexa ignored her, staring ahead. Regina frowned and pulled her earphones out of her ears. "Lex?"

"You can kiss the hot blonde but I can't?" Lexa suddenly hissed.

Regina sighed. "Mal, Lexa wants a kiss!"

"What? Regina, no-" Mal kissed Lexa's cheek before she could say anything else. Lexa's face turned bright red and she buried her face in Regina's neck.

"Aren't you the cutest thing?" Regina purred. "Want to know a secret?"

"What?"

Regina leaned her lips close to Lexa's ear and gave it a little lick. "Mal used to be my lover."

"Really?" Lexa peeked at Mal, who had turned back to cooking. "Do you know how much I would pay to see that?"

Regina laughed and grinned as she pulled Lexa out of the kitchen just as Ruby and Belle came downstairs. She introduced them to each other and smiled at how well Lexa and Ruby instantly clicked. Belle seemed mostly amused by the pair.

Dinner was wonderful. Regina enjoyed herself immensely surrounded by those she considered dear friends and family. As expected, Lily, Lexa and Ruby meshed well with each other. She, Mal and Belle watched them with amused smiles on their faces as they told jokes and complimented the cooks.

"So, what happened to Henry?" Lexa asked as she and Regina put the dishes away.

"He wanted to spend the night with his grandparents."

"Grandparents?" Lexa frowned.

"Birth mother brought her family." Regina lied easily.

"This is crazy. That bitch **and** her family needs to be locked up."

Regina blinked. "Lexa, I wrote a story, will you read it and tell me what you think?"

"Is it long? You know I hate reading."

"It's not that long." Regina went upstairs and conjured a book of her story. It was a little long, but she hoped Lexa would read it all. Lexa accepted it and read the cover.

"The Evil Queen, huh?" Lexa flipped through the pages and looked back up at Regina. "I didn't know you wanted to be a writer."

"It's just something I worked on while I was bored." Regina shrugged. "Read it and tell what you think. You know, whenever you get the time."

Lexa nodded. "Sure." She headed upstairs and Regina let out a sigh.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Mal asked, coming to her side. "She's a very understanding person."

"She'll think I'm crazy. Or worse...she'll believe it." Regina replied. "I wrote it out for her. My side. I just wonder what she'll think of the Evil Queen once she's done." Lexa would spend the rest of the evening and part of the night reading. Regina would never get her answer because the next morning, she and their guests went out house shopping. They found the perfect house just down the street from Regina's own home and Regina bought it for them. Money wasn't a problem in this family.

"Wait, Regina, where the hell are we anyway?" Ruby asked as they walked back to the mansion.

"Boston." Regina answered. "How did you not know that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't get out much."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be." Ruby smiled. "Because of the curse I didn't have to worry about my wolf and potentially hurting the woman I love." She kissed Belle's cheek. "I should be thanking you."

Regina shrugged. The trio arrived back at the house but Regina paused at seeing the door ajar. She frowned and took the lead into the house, finding shattered glass on the floor. She started to call out for Lexa, but Ruby stopped her and shook her head. The intruders could still be inside. They ventured further into the home and found signs of a struggle. A big struggle. Much of the furniture was overturned and there were blood streaks on the white couches, bullet holes in the walls and missing sections in the bannister. Ruby found Lily laying on the living room. Mal was in the kitchen, holding her hands against bullet wounds in her chest. "Where's Lexa?" Regina asked, healing their wounds. Mal still didn't have her fire back. Not yet.

"They took her." Mal hissed as Ruby and Belle helped her to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me what a gun was?"

"Who is they?" Regina demanded.

"Some guys in black." Lily answered. "They came in with guns and took Lexa. We tried to stop them but they overpowered us. We have to find out where they went." She said frantically.

"Lily, we will." Belle assured her.

Regina looked at the carnage in her living room. She raised her hands, summoning her magic, looking for anything that might belong to the attackers. A scrap of cloth levitated out of the wreckage of what was once her immaculate living room. She placed a spell on it and it started to float away, but Ruby quickly grabbed it before it take off. They got into the cars and Regina took the lead, using the piece of cloth as a guide. It wasn't long before she realized it was leading them back to Storybrooke. She skidded to a halt near the docks and got out of the car, stepping out just in time to see Henry and some guy disappear over the side...straight through a portal. "What the hell is going on?" She demanded, looking around as Emma and the other two idiots came running over.

"Greg Mendel just kidnapped Henry." Emma panted.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Apparently a guy you pissed off!" The blonde shouted. "He had a gun to my son's head, angry with you because you killed his father years ago."

It took a moment for Regina to remember who she was talking about, but at the moment she could honestly care less about any of that. "Where did he take Henry? The same people might've taken Lexa."

"What?!"

"I didn't stutter!" Regina snapped at her.

"Will you two stop fighting for 2 seconds?!" Lily roared, silencing them both. "How do we find out where that portal went and how do we follow them?"

"I believe we have the solution." Gold and some pirate fool Regina didn't recognize approached. They each possessed something she needed however, a globe and a ship. It was found that Lexa and Henry had been taken to Neverland. Regina wasted no time in getting ready to follow.

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	7. Chapter 7

The Jolly Roger rode smoothly through the waves churning against its hull. The people on board were silent, tired from the latest screaming match between Regina and Emma, both blaming each other for the loss of Henry and Lexa. Regina was obviously on edge, irritable and unable to sit still. Emma was silently fuming, enraged beyond words that those she loved had been taken and...angry at Lily. She stormed over to the brunette who had been sitting on a crate, watching her mother try to reawaken her magic.

"Why did you tell Regina about Lauren before me?"

"Because it was none of your damn business." Lily snapped. "For the last fucking time."

"You knew who she was. You know what she did."

"She's the woman who makes my friend happy." Lily replied. "That's all I need to know."

"She's a monster!"

"Fuck you, Emma!" Lily stood up, getting into Emma's face. "I don't know why the fuck you want to be so selfish when it comes to Lexa, but she has a life that doesn't include you. She doesn't need you to hold her hand and she doesn't need you all up in her business. Your parents might've hyped you up into being some glorified bitch but I think you forgot who the hell you're fucking with right now. Back off."

"No! I want to know what you refuse to tell me!"

Lily scowled and her voice lowered dangerously. "You really want to know? Fine. Lauren and Lexa ran away together and were going to get married. But Lauren died. In fact, she was brutally raped, tortured, beaten and murdered by a gang of guys who forced Lexa to watch. She had horrible nightmares afterwards and the medicine helps her sleep. She has Dissociative Amnesia, meaning she can't remember what happened. All she knows is that Lauren is dead. Are you fucking happy now?!" She took a step back, realizing that she was panting. All eyes were on the pair.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Emma asked, her sails deflating. She had never imagined that Lexa could have gone through something so traumatic. No wonder she didn't remember. Emma was sure she didn't want to remember if something like that happened to her.

"Ignorance is bliss." Lily returned. "She's happy. She's healthy. She grieves occasionally. She doesn't need to know."

"It was her fiancee-"

"There's a reason she doesn't know!" Lily snapped. "She doesn't want to. Just let her be. And get the fuck away from me. I'm sick of you. I'm sure a lot of people are sick of you by now, _Savior_." She glanced over at Snow and Charming. The pair had only been recently healed. Maleficent's first desire was to find her daughter and the next, after getting free, was to beat the pair of self righteous baby snatchers within inches of their lives. Gold had to use the majority of his magic just to keep them alive. They were nowhere close to being forgiven for everything they did to the dragons.

"Did you catch the guys that did it?" Emma asked, gaining her attention.

"No, we thanked them for mentally scarring my best friend and killing her girl." Lily scoffed. "Yeah, we got them. Anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't you just tell me all this?"

"Because it had nothing to do with you and I didn't trust you. I still don't. You made it very clear that you don't care about anyone but yourself."

"Are you serious right now?"

"You're damn right. If you hadn't been in Storybrooke messing with Regina, you could've been there for Lexa when she went home."

Emma frowned. "Went home?"

"She met her baby brother. His name is Tamas **(Pronounced like Thomas)** and he's a good kid. The rest of them haven't changed. Not that you care."

"I was here trying to help my son break a curse and help a town of people-"

"You know damn well it was never about being a savior or a mother to Henry. You just wanted to piss off Regina."

"I-"

"I don't care about this conversation. I'm tired of talking to you. I'm tired of you period."

But Emma wasn't done. She wasn't going to let the brunette walk away that easily. Not after what she discovered in the apartment. "What happened to us being friends? I mean, were you ever going to tell me where you guys were? I go home and find my roommates had moved somewhere else. You don't think I deserve an explanation?"

"If you weren't playing with Regina in Storybrooke, you would've gotten the thousand calls and messages from Lexa. She was worried sick about you."

"But I haven't gotten any messages."

"That's because Regina's phone is the only one that works between Storybrooke and the outside world. Duh." Lily rolled her eyes and headed down below deck for the night. Emma remained where she was, staring out of the water.

"Emma, you okay?" Snow came over to nudge to a seat, the same one Lily had been sitting on.

"No, I'm angry. I just want to get to Neverland, beat the shit out of Pan for touching my family, and go back home. I just want this to be over."

"You're not the only one. But don't worry. Everything will work out and we'll return victorious. I know we will."

Emma pulled her knees up to her chin. "I hope you're right-"

"Land ho!" Hook called. "Neverland is just ahead." As if on cue, the sky started to darken before their very eyes, like the heavens were being turned off. The water became black as night and the wind suddenly picked up, making the waves rise and slam into the ship hard. Emma nearly fell overboard when one hit the Roger and tipped it dangerously onto its side. Hook jerked the wheel to right them. Emma grabbed onto the railing and heard Maleficent scream as a powerful wave hit them head on. The dragon screamed again and through the haze of the water she saw Regina disappear over the side of the ship, two pairs of hands dragging the kicking and screaming woman down into the deep. Lightning split the sky and Emma was sure the entire world shook when Mal shifted into dragon form. She dove into the water to reach her friend but with the storm rising there was no way she would find her. Another wave hit them causing the dragon's head to slam back against the ship, cracking a hole in the hull. This rescue mission was already going horribly wrong.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina hit the sand hard but couldn't even react as a pair of strong hands grabbed her and lifted her onto her feet. Something was slapped on her wrist and a bag was thrown over her head. She tried to fight back, to lash out with her magic, but nothing happened. Something was blocking it. She was dragged through the jungle, repeatedly tripping over vines and roots and rocks until the ground started to slope downwards. Her arms were aching by the time she was thrown to the ground and barely managed to catch herself. The bag was whipped off and she received a hard kick in the side before her captors departed.

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light of the torches of the stone prison. The stone was as cold as ice beneath her fingertips and the walls were caked with mud. Other than a bucket and a thin blanket, the small room was bare. "Hello?" She looked at the cell across from her, noticing the dyed blonde hair. "Lexa?!" The person raised her head and looked around. Her face was frowned up in confusion and her eyes...were blue. Regina could recognize Lexa's unusual and beautiful emerald orbs anywhere. "Dinah?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	8. Chapter 8

"Dinah, is that you?" Regina asked. The figure in the cell shuffled closer on shaky legs. She looked dirty and tired and wired all at the same time. Her eyes continually darted back and forth before they fell on Regina. Her hair was thick and matted and nearly dragged on the ground when she got on to her hands and knees to crawl closer. She was thin, emaciated and beyond malnourished.

"Don't touch the bars." Regina quickly moved her hands, but she didn't back away. "How do you know my name?" Dinah asked, tilting her head in an almost canine manner.

"Your sister told me." Regina answered. "You two look just alike." Dinah frowned slightly. "Lexa, not Meghan." The former queen quickly amended.

Dinah practically burst into tears right then. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She's great. Well...until now. What are you doing here? Everyone thinks you're dead."

"You really think I had a choice- wait what? Dead?"

"Your parents told Lexa you died and she ran away from home." Regina said.

"Those bastards! I'll kill them!" Dinah grabbed the bars of her cell and pulled herself to her feet. "Those fucking...How could they? They knew I ran away. They knew and they lied." She started pacing. Stumbling more like actually. "Probably because they wanted another golden girl." She turned to Regina. "Who are you anyway? How do you know my sister?"

"I'm her girlfriend."

Dinah arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Well, she did have a thing for older women."

"I'm not that old." Regina countered.

"Compared to her…" Dinah let the statement linger, earning a glare from the caged brunette. "What happened to Lauren?"

"She died." Regina answered.

"How?"

"In a very bad way." Regina sighed. "Don't tell Lexa."

Dinah looked confused, but nodded. "Can you get us out of here?"

"I would if I could." Regina reached her arm through the bars. "Can you get this off? The cuff is blocking my magic. Get it off and I will rip this entire world apart." Dinah reached towards her and Regina noticed the black cuff on the blonde's wrist as well. But Dinah didn't have magic, did she? Just as Dinah touched her arm, a shockwave of magic passed through the bars, sending fire and electricity and pain shooting throughout her body. It left Regina in a spasming heap on the dirty floor.

"Now, now, your majesty. That's not how you play the game." She turned her head as a pair of young boys in dark cloaks held up mirrors to both of the cells. "Your girl is waking up. I wonder how she will react to finding out all of your secrets."

Regina groaned as she turned her body to the mirror as an image of Lexa appeared in it. She was bound to a chair and gagged. The blonde manboy that could only be Peter Pan was standing in front of her, smiling. One of the Lost Boys attempted to pull out the gag and Lexa bit his finger down to the bone. **Atta girl.** Another tried to grab Lexa's hair but she headbutted him, dropping him, and flipped herself, landing on top of him and breaking the chair, freeing herself. She tried to run, but...she didn't make it far. Pan made some kind of signal and an arrow hit Lexa in the shoulder, enough force behind it to knock her to the ground. It only enraged Regina even further.

"Help the lady up." Pan commanded. More lost boys dragged Lexa back to her original place and tied her to a new chair. "Alexiana Netina Aisi Ka'ne Amasio." He smirked. "Long name. Pretty, but long. Tell me, you've noticed, haven't you?" Lexa glared at him, keeping silent. "All the secrecy. You feel like there's something you're missing when it comes to your friends and family, right? Would you like for me to explain it?" Lexa didn't reply. Pan's smile widened into a grin. "I'll take that as a yes." He conjured a large mirror for her. Lexa's eyes went wide when the object magically appeared in his hands. The first image he showed was of a burning village. People were screaming, running, flailing, terrified. In the midst of it all was none other than the Evil Queen...smiling at her own carnage. "Meet the Evil Queen, Lexa. Also known as Regina Mills."

"Get away from me." Lexa hissed. But Regina saw something flicker in her eyes.

Pan laughed. " I have plenty more to make you believe it." He showed her memories, one after another, of the Evil Queen's cruelty against innocents. All the way up to the Dark Curse, and even when she murdered Graham, just because he chose Emma instead of following her. "That's just the beginning." He showed her why Emma and Lily were at odds with each other, all of the fights and screaming matches, all of the hidden dealings between the two, even the latest one on the Jolly Roger. "And for the piece de resistance. Would you like to see what happened to Lauren?"

/

Emma and the others looked up into the sky and saw exactly what Lexa saw. Maybe not the Lauren part to the extent Lexa saw, but she saw enough. Lily was in tears by the time Pan was through tormenting their friend. Emma just couldn't believe that Pan would be so cruel. The manboy appeared before them.

"I'm going to kill you." Lily hissed. A magical barrier prevented her from reaching him.

"One down. One to go." Pan smirked, tossing Emma a map. "Let's play a game, savior."

/

Regina had thrown herself at the cell door in attempt to get at the lost boys. She wanted to destroy them. She wanted to hurt them. Why would they put Lexa through such torment for their own amusement. She was innocent of all this. Dinah was silent, still, looking at them with pure murder in their eyes. The mirrors blinked out but she saw Lexa's face before they did. It broke her heart. It just...shattered everything.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there after the fire had gone out of her. It could've been minutes, hours, days, it didn't matter. Lexa knew the truth. Every ounce of the terrible truth. There was no way Lexa would be able to look past it, no matter how forgiving and understanding she was.

"Regina." Dinah called softly. "Is it true?"

"That I'm a monster? Yes." No wonder Henry didn't want her for a mother.

"No." Dinah said. "That you and Lexa are in love."

"Well...yes."

"How long?"

"3 years." Regina curled tighter into herself. 3 years of bliss.

"It took you 3 years to move in together?" Dinah scoffed. "Wow." A heavy silence followed for a while before Regina heard Dinah shuffling in the gloom. Then she heard a voice flowing through the darkness. Dinah sang softly to herself as she moved. Regina could hear the scraping of her feet as moved.

"What are you doing?"

"Figuring a way out of here." Came the reply. "Unlike you." Dinah continued singing and Regina recognized it as a song from one of Lexa's favorite bands. No other love by Common Kings. It was a song she would sing all the time, sometimes unconsciously.

"How long have you been here to still remember that song?" Regina asked.

"Two years, I think. Can't really tell."

"And you didn't bother trying to contact your sister?"

"Of course I did, Bitch. Did you not just hear how long her fucking name is? How the fuck do you get Lexa Kane out of all that?" Dinah snapped.

Regina sighed. "Sorry."

"Fuck you." Came the annoyed words.

"You are very different from your sister." She commented.

"Who do you think protected her all these years? Me. I always tried to help her, especially when it came to dating. She has a tendency for dating weak people."

Regina immediately sat up. "What?"

"Are you deaf? I said you were weak. You're crying in the corner while that son of a bitch is toying with my sister, your girlfriend. What are you gonna do about it, Evil Queen?"

Regina glared at her in the darkness. But there wasn't a way out of here. If only she could get this stupid cuff off. She looked around for a rock, something sharp. She picked up a large rock and turned it over in her hands.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, don't." Dinah said. She came to the bars of her cell, lightly touching them with her fingertips and Regina saw the massive, ugly scar around her wrist, just behind the black cuff. Cutting off her arm wouldn't work. Regina sighed and threw the rock to the side. She stepped forward to examine the bars of the cell. She sensed no magic besides a shock enchantment that seemed to go off at regular intervals or unless they were being watched and the spell was manually activated. "What are you going to do?" Dinah asked.

Regina put a finger to her lips and whispered softly. "Pretend to do something in your cell. Dig or something to keep anyone's attention who might be watching."

Dinah nodded and moved back into the darkness. Regina curled up near the bars, careful not to touch them, and started digging around them. They weren't sunk into the rock like one would expect. Clearly Pan thought his cuffs and enchantments were more than enough to keep his prisoners in place. She heard Dinah scrambling around in her cell and started furiously digging as inconspicuously as possible. Dinah would alert her to every hour that passed. Regina wasn't sure how she knew, but she didn't question it. After a good 4 hours, she sat up and attempted to pull one of the bars out of the ground. It barely moved.

"Damn it!" She hissed, going to get a rock and furiously beat against it. Every minute she was stuck in this hell hole, was a minute that Pan was alone with Lexa and she couldn't have that. That sadistic bastard was going to pay. After another hour she had bent one of the bars back but it was nowhere near big enough for her to fit through. She sighed and moved to the back of her cell for a little rest. She was exhausted. She was so tired her muscles were spasming. It was difficult, sleeping on a cold, hard floor, but at the moment she didn't care in the least.

When she awoke she continued to try various ways to open the cell door, but nothing worked. A day must have passed but no one brought them food or water. In fact, no one came to see them at all.

Regina sighed, leaning against the wall. "So...why did you run away?"

Dinah did the same, folding her legs and wrapping her arms around them. "It got to be too much." She answered. "Trying to be perfect took its toll."

"Why didn't you-"

"Tell Lexa? I didn't think. I just ran. I wanted to disappear, but it's kinda tough to do that when your parents can hire as many detectives and private investigators as they want to hunt you down." Regina arched her eyebrows. There was so much sadness in her tone. Lexa herself had admitted to cracking under the weight of trying to fill the shoes left by her older sister. Plus her parents' homophobia and desire to be seen as a perfect family had driven the blonde to run away. Lexa had always spoken so highly of her sister. She was built for that kind of life. Dinah must have hidden how overwhelmed she was very well if she hadn't destroyed Lexa's idolization of her. "I had to get out of there. Leaving Lexa was my only regret. Now I'm almost happy she wasn't snatched when I was."

"But why were you taken?"

"Something about magic and Pan losing power. I don't fucking know, I just want to get the hell out of here." Dinah punched the bars in frustration. Both of them looked around their prisons. Nothing had worked and Regina was sure that Dinah had probably already thought of anything she could come up with after being here for over 2 years. But she wouldn't give up. Not when Lexa was depending on her. Not when Pan had not suffered the consequences for harming her.

"Tell me about you two." Dinah interrupted her thoughts. "You and Lexi."

Regina snorted. "She hates that name."

"I know." A rare smirk graced Dinah's lips in the gloom. Despite the bleak situation the mention of Lexa seemed to erase some of the feelings of impending doom. Not much, but enough.

Regina told Dinah how she and Lexa met, how they fell in love and how successful Lexa was now as an artist. After her first painting of Regina, more museums had inquired about more of her artwork and that lead Lexa to create what she called the Queen Collection, all pieces of art that had something to do with Regina. By this time Lexa no longer needed the money she stole from her parents and had actually given most of it away. Some went to charities and the rest was divided into accounts for Emma, Lily, Tamas and even Henry. She made sure that the ones she loved were well taken care of. Regina had told Lexa that she didn't need some kind of savings account and Lexa had shrugged it off too easily. There was probably one hidden somewhere.

Dinah chuckled. "She was always like that. Would give you her last dime without hesitation. Irritating."

"Being charitable is irritating?" Regina arched an eyebrow.

"Being selfless is. At some point you have to think about yourself before others." Dinah replied. "But I guess that's why Lexa is so amazing. She has such a big heart."

"I hope that big heart can withstand this."

"What? You being a boss ass bitch who don't take no shit?" Dinah chuckled to herself. "Is that even still a thing?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I mean Lexa finding out who I used to be."

Dinah moved closer to the bars of the cell and met Regina's eyes. "We can always be better than who we used to be. You obviously are. If Lexa loves you, nothing is going to change that. Especially not who you used to be."

Regina quickly nodded under her intense gaze. Wise was never a word Lexa had mentioned to describe before her, so it came as a surprise to hear her speak so passionately. Then again who she used to be was a picture perfect person on the outside but inside she was crumbling. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm going to bed." She turned and dragged herself to back of her cell and the former queen decided to do the same. There was nothing to be done tonight.

A few hours later, Regina was awoken by the sounds of screaming. She quickly got to her feet but it took a while for her eyes to focus. Dinah was fighting, kicking and screaming as she was dragged out of the cell. Pan came to the bars in front of Regina. "Where are you taking her?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"And Lexa? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine." Pan smirked, conjuring a chair so he could sit. "I'm a little surprised that you have yet to ask about your son. After all, he's the one who's going to die very soon. I need his heart because it is strong enough to restore power to Neverland."

Regina said nothing, just glared at him. Her mind raced through various scenarios of how she was going to kill him. Each one more brutal and painful than the last. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"Entertainment." He smirked.

"Lexa is innocent of all this. You didn't have to drag her into this."

"You dragged her into this." He countered.

"You kidnapped her when you already had Henry, you sadistic little prick." She snapped. "I can going to kill you nice and slow, you bastard. You'll be begging for me to end your life by the time I am done."

Pan only laughed before his expression turned deathly serious. "I'm going to take you some place. I want you on your best behavior. If you run, Lexa dies. If you fight, Lexa dies. Do you understand?"

Regina nodded. "Can I see her?"

"Of course." He beamed. He made a motion with his hand and a pair of his followers came in with a bag in and threw it over her head. Her arms were wrenched behind her back and tied together. She was half dragged, half carried out of her cell. She wasn't sure how far they walked or how long. She was still tired. It must've been days since the last time she'd eaten and all of her efforts since had been on escaping. A long while later she was dropped unceremoniously on the ground and the sack whipped off her head again. She looked around at the quiet beach, wondering what Pan had in store. He was farther down the beach, with Lexa. A hand was clamped over the queen's mouth before she could call out to her beloved.

"Why are you doing this?" Lexa asked. "Please, let me go."

"I'm going to give you a gift, child." Pan smirked. "You see, my power is weakening every minute we stay here and the only reason my world still exists is because of your sister."

"My sister?" Lexa frowned in disgust.

"Dinah, not Meghan." The frown quickly turned to one of hope. "Before you can see her, I want you to meet someone else. Well, re-meet." A specter appeared out of the water nearby, wearing a simple white gown. Regina scowled and fought against her captors when she realized who it was. The bright eyes were unmistakable, as well as the long ebony hair. Lexa paled and her jaw dropped, as if she'd seen a ghost. In that moment she was looking at one. A haunting one.

"Lauren?" Lexa whispered.

"Lexi!" Lauren wrapped her arms around Lexa and Lexa buried her face in her neck almost instantly. Regina swallowed thickly at how surprised and happy her lover got at seeing another woman. The woman who was her real true love.

"Y-you're real…"

"I'm as real as you want me to be." Lauren flashed a dazzling smile before kneeling in front of her ex fiancee. "What's wrong?" Tears were streaming down Lexa's face. Regina struggled even harder, knowing it wasn't real. Pan was using Lexa for something, but this was too much. Destroying this woman emotionally and psychologically, for what?

"I miss you." Lexa said. "So much."

"Then why did you let them hurt me?" Lauren asked. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"I tried!" Lexa insisted. "You have to believe me. I did everything I could-"

"You forgot me."

"No! No, just that night. I didn't mean to." Lexa continued to plead, voice breaking. It broke Regina's heart. She wanted to cover her ears, close her eyes, anything to get rid of that soul wrenching sound. Anything to wash away the sight of a heartbroken Lexa. She couldn't take it. The more Lexa cried, the angrier Lauren seemed to get.

"You forgot me! And you replaced me! You replaced me with a monster! Were you going to give her my ring too?" Lauren demanded.

"No-"

"Don't lie to me! The Evil Queen is a monster, a murderer, a tyrant! Tell me you aren't going to stay with her."

"That's not who I fell in love with." Lexa said. Regina raised her head at her words. "I can't ignore the things she's done. I won't even try to because I'm scared, but I love her. Just like I love you. But this isn't you."

"What are you talking about?" Lauren demanded. "I'm here. Stay here with me. Stay in Neverland and we can be together again." She pleaded, falling to her knees again. Lexa shook her head and that sufficiently pissed Lauren off. She looked down and noticed the ring on Lexa's face and immediately yanked it off.

"What are- Lauren, no! Please!"

"This is hers?" Lauren asked. Lexa's reaction spoke for itself. She turned and tossed Daniel's ring into the sea.

"No!" Lexa roared, struggling against her bonds. One of her arms broke free but it was quickly pulled back into place by one of Pan's henchmen. "How could you?" Lexa hissed, glaring at Lauren.

"Because you're mine."

"You're not Lauren!" She snapped. "You're nothing like her. You'll never be her. And this isn't a gift." She looked up at Pan. "What did I do to you? Huh?!"

"It's not what you did. It's what your beloved Evil Queen did."

Regina racked her brain for anytime she had ever crossed paths with Peter Pan. Truthfully, it could've been any number of ways. She was very good at pissing people off, directly and indirectly. He could be mad about anything. Still, Lexa should not have been apart of this. She shouldn't have even been here.

"The truth, Alexiana." Pan said, with a laugh. "The truth is why you're here. You see, I've been watching you. I knew about all the little secrets that your friends and family have tried to hide and I got sick of it. I wanted to see...how you would react… to knowing all of these secrets. And honestly, I'm a little disappointed. I mean, you don't honestly think that the woman you just saw order the execution of an entire innocent village has changed, do you? People don't change."

"People don't change." Lexa repeated, looking him in the eye. "You're right. People will never truly change...they just show the world who they truly are and I know who Regina Mills truly is and all of that bullshit you saw with the Evil Queen, that woman who had no place to go besides into the darkness. You can thank Rumpelstiltskin for that. You can thank Cora for that. You can thank the world for creating the Evil Queen, but she is dead now! I will kill you myself if you touch Regina!"

Pan sighed and rolled his eyes. "I thought you were smarter than that." He walked around her, lightly touching the arrow shaft still stuck in her shoulder, making her hiss in pain. "But I'm done with you. Take her to the tree and tie her up with her sister. I have another follower to convert to our ranks. A one Henry Mills. While his mothers continue to cry and bicker, he won't ever want to go home with either one of them." He grinned at Lexa before teleporting away.

Regina chose that moment to elbow one of her guards and bit the hand of the one covering her mouth. The boy screamed and yanked his hand back. She took off, attempting to make it to Lexa, but she had guards of her own and they readied an arrow in seconds. She turned, making a dive into the surf and quickly powering her way into the deeper water. Swimming was not a skill she was particularly adept at. She had only learned it when she was with Lexa and the former blonde had insisted on teaching her. With her hands tied, she sunk to the bottom of the sea and moved along the sea floor. Arrows whizzed past her but she ignored them. When her lungs threatened to burst, she kicked off with her legs as hard as she could and barely made it to the surface to take in more air. A roar from above made her look up and a giant scaly hand clamped itself around her, picking her up and spiriting her away.

A minute later her rescuer hit the sand hard and Regina was gently placed on the ground. Lily quickly removed her bonds and Hook helped her stand. "Thanks Mal."

The dragoness shifted into human form and dipped her head. "Anytime. What happened to you?"

"Pan got some mermaids to kidnap me. Can you take this off?" She held up her wrist and Mal ripped the cuff off and tossed it over her shoulder. "We have to find him. He has Lexa and Dinah and I don't know what he plans to do with them but he's torturing them both." She looked up at Mal. "He brought an apparition of Lauren to Lexa. It...It was horrible."

"That's what Pan needs." Mal said. "He needs you and them broken. You are one of the most powerful magic practitioners of all time. He doesn't want to face you one on one because he is weak right now and you could win. So he needs to break you down psychologically and emotionally. But what he doesn't know is that you've been through all this before and that you have backup. Don't worry."

Regina took a deep breath and nodded. Her magic was returning. She could feel it. Like a buzzing in her blood, a tingling in her fingertips, a skip in her heartbeat. Her magic was returning and so was her anger. "Where's the main camp?"

"In the heart of the island." Hook answered.

"And the Charmings?"

"Captured."

"What?!"

He nodded. "Yesterday. Pan got tired of waiting for Emma to figure out his little game. He doesn't have much time to play games like he wants." He pointed with his hook up at the sky. "The moon is going down. Once it does, either a new dawn rises, or the moon rises again on another dark day in Neverland. By my guess, we have a few hours to kill."

"Good." Regina said. She needed to gather her strength before she could go charging into the enemy's camp. "First, I'll need something to eat, a bed, and a sledgehammer. Then I'm going to go murder a manboy."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	9. Chapter 9

Below them lay the Lost Boys camp. Mal conjured some binoculars and handed them to a newly refreshed Regina so the queen could see. The Charmings were in some kind of cage made of sticks and Henry was sitting off to the side, guarded by a small platoon of Lost Boys. None of that attracted Regina's attention however as they moved closer, crouching in the bushes. What nearly stopped her heart was seeing Lexa, her arms bound, standing on Dinah's shoulders with a rope around her neck. If Dinah fell or moved, Lexa would be hung. Regina knew it was only a matter of time. Dinah was weak, physically. She could hardly walk on her own, much less stand. Her legs were already shaking. Most of the Lost Boys were gone, combing the woods for Pan's lost prisoner. Pan himself was positively livid, pacing the clearing and snapping at anyone who happened to cross him. Mal slipped away and a moment later, she flew back by in dragon form, setting fire to the trees around the camp, lighting up the area and attracting the attention of Pan and his followers. Hook slipped around to the Charmings cage and waited until Regina stepped out, cuff gone and rage reinflated. She fired a fireball at the rope around Lexa's neck, but Pan deflected it.

"Want to play a game, your majesty?" He asked. The other Lost Boys raised their bows at Dinah and Lexa. "Do you think you can stop all of these arrows before they reach your precious princess?"

Regina rolled her shoulders. She was going to end this. Once and for all. It would be a battle for the ages where the hero and villain were one and the same. Regina lashed out with everything she had and Pan held nothing back. It wasn't enough to defeat him, she had to destroy him. She had to maim him, to torture him, to kill him. He put his hands on Lexa, her Lexa. It was certainly time to die. Regina smiled when she forced Pan to his knees after a particularly powerful blast. Lily burst out of the trees, slamming into the Lost Boys and disrupting their lines. Mal flew by, grabbing several in her talons and flinging them off into the distance without a second glance.

"They're children." Snow called.

"They're murderers." Regina replied, never taking her eyes off Pan. "They're spawns of evil, created by you. They tortured innocent people on your behalf. Just mindless soldiers following the commands of a madman, just as mad as their leader." She rammed her hand into his chest and pulled out Henry's heart. "This entire world is going to burn. I want you to watch as it happens, Peter Pan. Watch as all you hold dear is taken from you."

Pan gasped, a shaking hand over his empty chest. A smirk graced his lips as he turned without warning and fired a fireball at Dinah's feet. She screamed and tried to keep standing but ultimately crumpled to her knees. "No!" Regina raced to the tree to try and cut Lexa down before the damage could be done. Lily caught Lexa and quickly untied her, tossing the cuff to the side while Hook did the same to Dinah. Almost instantly Lexa's hand shot up and clamped itself around Lily's throat. Her eyes opened, revealing their unnatural glow. Dinah suddenly tackled Hook, but rolled to go and chase down a lost boy on all fours. Her eyes were glowing bright blue and she was moving too fast for the lost boys to hit her with their arrows.

"What the hell?" Hook said, holding his face.

"Lexa." Lily choked out, trying desperately to pry Lexa's fingers off of her.

Dinah meanwhile, had noticed Pan's presence. Her tormentor, her capturer, the man who held her chains and kept her from her sister. Pan looked up and genuine fear showed in his eyes. Dinah grabbed his face...and kissed him. Lexa dropped Lily and looked at her sister like she was crazy, mimicking the faces of almost everyone in attendance. Dinah leaned back and smiled at Pan, opening her mouth and drawing out what appeared to be his life force. Pan tried to scream, but he couldn't break her grip with her stealing his strength. The burns on her skin disappeared and her body filled out, restoring her to picture perfect health. She stepped back and roundhouse kicked Pan in the side of the head. Then she collapsed.

"Let's go!" Mal snapped. She swooped down and grabbed Dinah and Lexa in her back paws. Hook and Lily were lifted in her front ones and Mal took off towards the Jolly Roger, docked in a quiet cove. But Regina wasn't done. She didn't mind picking up the scraps. Neverland was burning, drenched in dragon fire. The lost boys were scattered, running, lying in pain. They were on an island, with no place to go. Their leader lay in the middle of their camp, panting like a dog. Pan was dying, as was his precious world. But Regina wasn't done.

The former queen conjured a mirror and examined her reflection. She fixed her hair a little bit and proceeded to slam it down on Pan's back so hard that it elicited a cracking sound. "Don't ever try to hurt who I love." She hissed, tossing the mirror to the side. She raised an arm, stretching it towards the nearest, largest tree she could find and used magic to rip the ancient being out of the ground. "What is it you like to say? Peter Pan never fails?"

"Please." Pan whispered, struggling to crawl away from her.

Gold suddenly appeared in front of Regina. She had almost forgotten that the little bastard had come with them. "No one is killing my father but me."

"This prick is your father? I can see that being an asshole runs in the family." Without warning Regina slammed the tree on top of Pan, effectively crushing him and teleported away to the ship.

The heroes were forced to run all the way there and by the time they arrived, Regina and the others were more than ready to go. Dinah woke up just as the Charmings and Henry boarded the ship. She was almost immediately tackled in a bearhug by Lexa.

Regina sat off to the side, nervously wringing her hands as she watched the sisters rejoice in being together again. Both of them seemed to have forgotten how Dinah almost sucked the life out of Pan and Lexa almost strangled Lily not an hour ago. It made her smile because Lexa was happy. Any time Lexa was happy, she was happy, no matter what had happened between them.

"Yo, since you guys have magic stuff, can somebody make me a shower?" Dinah yelled.

"Magic stuff?" Mal asked with a slight frown.

"Yeah, you know the glowy stuff." She wiggled her fingers like Jack Sparrow and Lexa snickered while rolling her eyes. Emma tried to walk up to Lexa, but Dinah stopped her. "I appreciate what you guys did for my sister." She nodded to Lily. "Especially you. But the rest of you need to give us both 50 feet."

"Why?" Emma demanded.

"Because I fucking said so." Dinah replied. "I saw how you acted during Pan's little movie."

"I'll make you a shower." Regina said, rising to her feet. She motioned for them to follow her below deck. She didn't say anything but it was unnerving knowing Lexa was so near. Lexa made no attempt to talk to her as she conjured a bed and bath to Dinah's liking.

Dinah turned on the shower and looked at the cascading water with a dreamy smile. "This'll be the first shower I've taken in 2 years without pervy little boys watching me from the bushes." She said softly.

"Need help with your hair?" Lexa asked, gesturing to her matted mane that would probably have to be chopped off.

"I could help." Regina offered. "So you won't have to cut it."

"Thanks."

She dipped her head and turned to leave the room. Lexa suddenly stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"I know it's been awhile since we bathed and I probably smell like Pumba, but can I get a hug?" The blonde asked. Regina quickly nodded and stepped into Lexa's embrace without hesitation. "I finished the book." Lexa whispered. "And I won't lie, I need a little while to process everything that's happened."

"Take as much time as you need." Regina assured her. After getting kidnapped, tortured, finding out the horrible way in which your ex fiancee died, having your sister come back to life, and finding out that you may not even be human. Well...that counts as one hell of a week. Time had flown by so quickly while they were on the island and she was still far from recovered. She reluctantly released Lexa and watched her go back into her bedroom before making her way to the cafeteria. She sat down and looked around, starving but unwilling to eat. The wood of the ship seemed so dark and dull. Everything seemed dark and dull. Nothing seemed beautiful except for Lexa. Emma sat down next to her.

"You can have Henry." Regina said without looking at her. "I'll have the papers sent to you. You can have your precious job, your precious town, your idiotic family and your son. I won't ever come back to Storybrooke."

"Regina-"

"I have no interest in being anywhere near you, Miss Swan, ever again. I have no interest in having any kind of relationship with you. If Henry needs me, I will come. Until then, stay away from me." She decided not to stick around for Mal to give her a pep talk. They won. Lexa and Henry were safe, but she still felt sick. Like she was missing something important and she knew exactly what that was.

After going into her chosen room she took a long hot shower and laid down on the bed. Of course Mal found her and sat down on the edge.

"I don't want to talk." Regina sighed.

"Good. Then you won't have trouble listening." Mal replied. Regina rolled her eyes and looked up. "I'm proud of you." The arch of a manicured eyebrow was her reply. "You attacked an entire island to bring back the woman you love. You're a lot stronger than you used to be."

"That's the problem." Regina said. "I should've come here for my son...but I didn't. The only one I thought about was Lexa. What kind of mother am I?" A mother should be willing to do anything for her child but she hadn't even thought of Henry while she was imprisoned. Just Lexa.

"One who isn't willing to let a child dictate their happiness." Mal replied.

"I told Emma she could have him." Regina looked down. "All I want for Henry is happiness and if the heroes give him that, then I hope this will ensure it."

"And you and Lexa?"

"She needs time to process everything and I don't blame her."

Mal gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure everything will work out. You two were made for each other."

Regina offered her a sad smile before the dragon teleported away and allowed her to get some much needed rest.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma folded her arms, watching Dinah and Mal sitting on Dinah's bed. Between lay a line of objects made of various metals. Depending on what magic was in Dinah's veins one of the objects should react to her touching it. Dinah looked a thousand times better. Her skin was still glowing from her shower and her hair was straight and tangle free, almost reaching her thighs. She was as beautiful as Lexa, if not more so, although she was a little thicker and taller by an inch.

"So...how are you and Regina?" Lily asked, sitting on the far end of the bed with Lexa, who had been staring off into space until this point.

"I don't know." Lexa shrugged. "It's just...If I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed Regina was capable of hurting-killing- damn it, she is pretty aggressive and threatening sometimes. I wouldn't think she was capable of harming innocents how about that." She shook her head and got up. "I just..." She growled in frustration. "I don't know."

"Do you still love her?" Lily asked.

"Of course, but-"

"She's a former tyrant and a murderer?" Emma asked, more to herself than the others, but Lexa heard it anyway.

"Emma shut up!" She snapped. "You didn't like her from the beginning for no damn reason."

"I didn't because she was hiding something and guess what: she was! She was hiding the fact that she cursed an entire world for 28 years." Emma returned calmly.

Lexa took a deep breath and looked Emma in the eye. Lily attempted to calm her down but she was pushed away. "If my mother ripped out the heart of the man I loved and crushed it in front of me then forced me to marry some old bastard and be a queen to people that think I'm a gold digger, I'd want to curse an entire world too." Emma's eyes went wide at hearing this news. "Oh you didn't know? That's because you didn't bother to ask." Lexa sighed and dug her hands through her hair.

Mal looked up from her instructing Dinah to pick up the various objects and narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're defending Regina. Does that mean you'll stay with her?"

"I don't know." Lexa said.

"I don't understand." The dragon said. Human emotions always confused her. To her, there was no problem.

"Mal, this woman is a queen." Lexa exclaimed. "A literal fucking queen! She has lead a kingdom, went to war, fought in battles, can catch arrows with her bare hands and can use magic. What do I do? I paint pretty pictures."

Dinah immediately stood up, going to wrap her arms around her sister and comfort her. "Lex, Regina wants you. That's why she didn't tell you who she used to be because she was afraid of losing you. Personally she's too emotional for me, but that's also why she's perfect for you."

"Everything else seems so...fake, compared to her. She's real." Lexa said softly. "I'm like a fucking peasant. What if I'm not good enough-" Dinah tightened her grip on Lexa, almost choking her while stroking her head. "Dinah, stop." She choked out.

"Nope. Don't say stupid things." Dinah replied. "Don't even try it." She stepped back and thumped Lexa on the forehead.

"I forgot how annoying you were." Lexa glared at her.

Emma noticed Lily and Mal exchange looks, both of them smiling. She didn't know that each was doing it for a very different reason.

"Dinah. Catch." Mal used her claws to toss a little ring to Dinah, who caught it easily. As soon as it touched her skin she screamed and leaped backwards, her palm sizzling.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"Iron. Congratulations. You're fae."

/

Regina frowned. "Fae?" She and Mal were sitting in the cafeteria off to the side while the others hate a small lunch. Lexa and Dinah were in the center with Lily, explaining to them who everyone was in the Enchanted Forest.

"Yes. They couldn't even touch the iron."

"Are their parents fae too?" Regina asked.

"Possibly, although the trait has been known to skip generations. It's possible their younger sister is fae as well."

"But aren't there specific types?" Regina inquired.

Mal nodded. "In order to find out precisely which one they are, I would need to test them. Still, it would seem it's a recessive trait. They exhibit no magical characteristics until they're nearly dead or really angry. Maybe they're just half bloods." The blonde chuckled. "Your girlfriend is fascinating."

Regina smirked. "She is." Lexa happened to glance over and their eyes met. Regina quickly looked away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. When she looked up again she nearly had a heart attack to find Lexa on her way over. "Oh shit."

"Relax, you fool." Mal whispered.

"You're the fool."

Lexa stopped in front of their table. She looked much healthier and cleaner, wearing conjured gray sweats and a red sports bra with the words island girl on the front in white letters. Her mane was neatly brushed and held back by a headband straining to hold it all in. "Regina...I lost your ring." She said softly. "I swear I tried to keep it but-"

"Lexa," she interrupted gently. "Daniel was more than a ring. It meant a great deal to me but not nearly as much as you do. You lost the ring but you're fine, so I'm okay."

Lexa nodded. "We need to talk."

Regina nodded as well. Lexa offered her hand to help her up and she took it, allowing Lexa to lead her to back to her bedroom for privacy. "Lexa, I know how all this seems." Regina began quickly. "But I am not that person anymore, I swear."

"I know." Lexa said. She sat down on the bed and motioned for Regina To sit next to her. "I can't ignore everything you've done. But I care about us more. I know all of this is crazy but...I fucking love you, Regina. And I want to keep trying to make this work."

"I do too, Lexa." Regina said softly, wanting to leap for joy.

"But one thing I don't want is to be treated like I'm some fragile little being because of what happened with Lauren." Lexa said firmly. "I also don't want you to feel like you're playing second best to her or anything. I'll always love her but she wouldn't want me spending my entire life crying over her."

"She was your first love, Lex, and a woman you knew your entire life. I don't expect you to ever forget her or to pretend like what you had wasn't real just because we're together." Regina touched her hand, hesitating to take it. "I just want to be with you. Believe me, after what I've been through, I'll take what I can get."

"But you deserve a lot more than that." Lexa took Regina's hand firmly and kissed it. "You risked your life to save me. You gave me back my sister. I want to give you the world but...I don't think it's good enough."

Regina smiled and laid her head on Lexa's shoulder. "I just need you." Lexa was all she wanted. She couldn't imagine going through life without her. And she needed to know that...Regina sat up and climbed into Lexa's lap.

"Um, what are you-" Regina silenced her with a kiss. "Are you sure you don't want to take it slow?" Lexa asked.

"No-" Regina almost screamed as she was flipped and slammed on the bed.

"Good." Lexa grinned. She kissed Regina like she never would again and in a matter of moments their clothes were gone. After what was perhaps their most heated lovemaking session, Regina was practically purring, laying in a blissful haze next to her younger lover, playing with her hair. "Nothing changed." Lexa whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing changed. You still make me crazy. You are still the most amazing woman I've ever met. I know the truth about everything...and nothing has changed."

Regina smiled and kissed her lips. "Something has. You're stronger."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The return to Storybrooke seemed much shorter than it took to get there. Lexa spent her time alternating between hanging onto her sister and staying by Regina's side. When they finally arrived back in town, she witnessed firsthand how beloved the Evil Queen was.

Regina was grabbed as soon as she stepped off the Roger. Two of the dwarves nearly dragged her to the side but both of them were almost tackled by Lexa. Dinah leaped in to help her sister and it took Mal's magic to separate them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Lily snapped.

"She's the Evil Queen." One of them said.

"Touch her again and I will rip you apart." Lexa growled in his face.

"Lexa." Regina warned, straightening her clothes with a resigned sigh. "Let's just go."

Lexa gave her a funny look before suddenly kicking one of the dwarves in the face, knocking him out. Regina could have fainted seeing the muscles in Lexa's leg extend to deliver the crushing blow. Emma was quick to step between them. She and Snow managed to calm the situation but Lexa kept a firm arm around her girlfriend, shielding the former queen from the onslaught of the angry mob as Regina lead her family back to where they parked the car. She had no interest of staying in Storybrooke longer than she needed to.

"Wait, what about Henry?" Lexa asked, getting into the passenger seat of Regina's car.

"He's staying." Regina replied.

"What?"

"He wants to be with the heroes. Why stop him?" She asked. Lexa kissed her temple and took her hand.

"Everything's going to be fine."

"Thank you."

"Do you two think we can make a little stop?" Dinah asked from the back.

"Where?"

"Oregon. Mommy and Daddy have some explaining to do."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	10. Chapter 10

Regina fought the urge to scowl as they walked into the formal gala. It reminded her too much of the elegant balls that she was forced to attend as Leopold's wife. She gave Lexa's hand a squeeze as they walked quickly after a pissed off Dinah. She quickly found that there was no 'off' button on the woman when she was mad. All three were dressed impeccably in matching dark gowns and were eliciting very blatant stares from the guests. Someone was already on stage speaking when they entered the ballroom. It was a brunette woman, young and pretty but not distinctly so. It was Meghan, the youngest of the Amasio sisters and her words died on her lips when Dinah walked fearlessly down the aisle, a spotlight roaming over to highlight her.

"Dinah?"

"You're damn right." Dinah hissed. A pair of figures stepped out from behind Meghan and Regina recognized them from Lexa's scrapbook. Mr. and Mrs. Amasio. Their father looked like a hard man, a permanent frown on his heavily tanned face. Other than that, he was handsome and dressed smartly. Their mother reminded Regina of her mother. All talk and grace and poised, always putting on a front for the world, pretending to be more than what she was. Their faces were a mixture of shock and rage. "Hey Mom and Dad, apparently I'm back from the dead!"

Dinah's mother kicked off her heels and jumped off the stage, ignoring her husband's flustered calls. "Dinah, baby, is that really you?"

"It's me, Fa'e." Dinah said. She seemed shocked when her mother hugged her. She did the same to Lexa, looking at them with an overwhelming amount of love in her eyes. Regina recognized that look. She hadn't known. She hadn't known that her daughters were plagued with so much misery beneath her roof. She gave them a teary smile and turned back around with pure murder in her eyes.

"Netina-" Their father tried to say, trying in vain to keep his composure in front of his many guests.

"You told me my babies were dead!" Netina roared. "I mourned my daughters! I grieved for my children! And they were alive?!" She raised her hand for silence when he tried to stammer for an answer. "I saved your wretched company, I managed that stupid house, I gave up my family, my name, and my culture for you! Get your lawyers, get you a fucking army because I am going to take you to court for every dime you have, you bastard!"

Mr. Amasio jumped off the stage as well and attempted to touch Netina, but she whipped around and he fell onto his butt to avoid the punch he thought was coming. Netina grabbed a knife off the table and sliced a long slit in her dress, just to give her the freedom to kick her soon to be former husband in the face. Now Regina saw where Lexa and Dinah got their legs. Netina looked around at their group of guests.

"By the way, all of you are phony and condescending assholes. Mark, your wife has been having an affair with my husband for the past decade. So has Monica and Karen. He's had some prostitutes too so, Karen, if you're still wondering where that STD came from, look no further!" She turned to another side of the room. "All of you in this general area, I assume you're missing about 1.3 billion dollars collectively, correct?" There were some mutterings of agreement. "Look. No. Further. You'll find it all in the Cayman Islands in an account under the name Marcus Amasio. The number is 12345566546. Want me to repeat that?"

"This was not what I expected." Dinah admitted with a grin. "It's so much better. But we have another stop to make after this."

Neither sister wanted to stay in the town they once hated, and Netina had their servants pack up her things in record time so she could leave as well. It turned out that many of the things the two had suffered as children were brought about by their father. Netina didn't even know about Lauren and Lexa being more than friends. In fact, she had had a mistress since the first day of her marriage. Neither did she know about Dinah's ex boyfriend almost raping Lexa. At the very least she knew her daughters were unhappy, but she did nothing to change that, so she was not entirely forgiven. The small group gathered at a nearby high end restaurant and Regina was finally officially introduced to Netina Amasio.

"I'm glad the both of you are alive and well." Netina sniffed.

"Mom, please stop crying." Dinah said.

"No!" Her mother snapped.

"By the way, are we adopted?"

"Dinah!" Lexa rolled her eyes.

Regina stifled a snicker as she sipped her wine. "Adopted?" Netina frowned. "No, why would you think that?"

Dinah started to speak again but Regina stopped her. "Mrs. Amasio, do you believe in magic?"

"What are you going on about?"

"Do you know what fae are, Mrs. Amasio?" Netina's eyes narrowed for the briefest moment and Regina knew at once that she knew something, even though she continued to feign ignorance.

"What are you going to do now, Mom?" Lexa asked.

"Hopefully take every cent you father has, then leave. Maybe talk Meghan into leaving as well, but I know she won't."

Regina listened in silence mostly throughout the dinner. Dinah and Netina argued a little over the estate, but Netina only laughed at it, just happy that Dinah was alive so they **could** argue. Towards the end she excused herself to go to the bathroom. No sooner had she stepped inside that Lexa slipped through and pushed her against the wall. "I almost fried you. What are you doing?"

"Taking a break from my crazy family." Lexa smiled, shaking her head. "We're gonna have to handcuff my mom or she'll go home and destroy everything."

"It was an arranged marriage." Regina replied. "Believe me, I know what it's like to be trapped in one."

Lexa kissed her forehead. "I'm glad Leopold is dead. He didn't deserve you."

Regina smiled at her words. "He was a good king-"

"A 60 year old guy who thought a beautiful 18 year old goddess wanted to be his wife?" Lexa scoffed. "Maybe he was a good king but he was obviously delusional."

"It was payment for saving his daughter's life."

"And yet it was a little slice of hell." Lexa replied, kissing her forehead again.

"Get out." Regina smirked. "I have to pee." Lexa allowed herself to be pushed out of the bathroom and Regina used it and washed her hands. She stepped out to find Netina standing in front of the door and was unceremoniously pushed back in.

"Listen to me, Evil Queen, you cannot-"

"So you do know something." Regina arched an eyebrow. "I thought as much."

"This doesn't concern you." Netina snapped. "I have kept my children safe for a long time-"

"They were miserable! You let your husband dictate their lives and try to force them into being these perfect little princesses. Both of them ran away to get away from all of you! That's certainly being an excellent mother. Since you know so much, do you know that Dinah was captured by Peter Pan and held prisoner on his island for 2 years?" Regina demanded. "All you people do is keep secrets and screw over your daughters. What doesn't concern me?"

"Enough!" Netina's eyes glowed bright blue and Regina smirked.

"You're fae too, and you know it. Why feign ignorance when I asked you before?"

"Because you are endangering my daughters. Stay away from them, the both of them. Evil only breeds trouble and they don't need it."

"They don't need you either." Regina hissed. "Now tell me what's going on!" Just then there was knock at the door and Netina froze, motioning for Regina to be still as well. Regina was about to go open the door, but Netina moved in front of her. She wouldn't have been so cautious if there wasn't something threatening on the other side of that door. A long silence ensued and the moment Netina relaxed, Regina stormed out. Lexa and Dinah were eating dessert when Regina returned to the table. "We need to leave." She commanded. "Your mother knows something, she won't tell me what. I think someone is here looking for you two. Not someone nice either." Both sisters rose quickly to their feet. They waited a few more minutes to see if Netina would return, but she never did.

"What the hell is going on?" Lexa asked as they got back into the car. This time, Dinah drove. Regina had a feeling she wouldn't like where they were going by the tire iron draped across her lap.

"I don't know, but your mother does." She answered. Netina was clearly fae. She clearly knew about her own powers and possibly about Lexa and Dinah's as well, but deliberately withheld the information for some reason. Fae were a rare breed of magical creature and they were known for being able to keep their existence a secret for long periods of time. But the secret was out. Why try to keep it? The car suddenly skidded to a stop and Regina was nearly thrown into the front seat.

"Keep it running." Dinah commanded. "We won't be here long."

Regina climbed into the driver's seat. "Whose house is this?"

"Jerry's. Her ex-boyfriend."

"The one who tried to take advantage of you?!" Lexa grabbed Regina to keep her from getting out of the car. Both of them froze when the front door opened and Dinah started yelling at the man who stepped out. The argument didn't last long, and ended with Dinah beaming the man over the head with the tire iron. Dinah returned and got into the back.

"Now we can go."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	11. Chapter 11

Regina tossed the book to the side before getting up and grabbing another. Mal and Lily were nearby, reading books as well, trying to find out what her girlfriend and sister actually were. It had been a month since they returned to their mansion and things had been going well. No magical outbursts. No strange visitors. No kidnappings. But Regina still didn't know what kind of fae Lexa and Dinah were, and even though they didn't seem to care, she did. Mal pointed out that the first step to finding out a fae's tendencies was observation.

So Regina observed the two for a month. They found out what Dinah was rather easily, but Lexa remained a mystery.

After yet another fruitless search the trio packed up the books and headed out the basement/vault. Ruby was curled up on the couch napping and Dinah was standing nearby, spraying her hand with whipped cream. Mal and Regina simultaneously raised an eyebrow at her. Lily rolled her eyes and Belle ignored them all, too busy with her book on the other end of the couch. Dinah snickered as smacked Ruby on the side of the face, leaving a white handprint. The werewolf snapped awake. It took her a moment to realize what happened, but she did, and Dinah took off running with Ruby hot on her trail.

Regina shook her head with a laugh and made her way upstairs where Lexa was. Her girlfriend was lying on their bed on her phone...wearing nothing but a lace thong. "What's this?"

Lexa looked up and grinned, tossing her phone to the side. "I feel neglected, so I decided to get your attention."

"Mission accomplished." Regina smirked. "However, we still have much to discuss regarding what you are."

Lexa sighed and rolled onto her back. "Regina, it's been too long. You promised we could make love tonight." She pouted cutely and tilted her head back to look at her lover upside down.

"Why are you so calm about all of this?" Regina asked, folding her arms. "It's almost like you two don't want to find out what kind of fae you are."

"I just want to focus on you and me." Lexa said. "We're together. No complications, no having to go back and forth, no long distance-"

"So you don't care of the strange being that scared your mother shitless in the restaurant last month?" Lexa sighed and Regina climbed onto the bed in front of her. "My dear, I know all of this is very new for you, but if there is someone out there threatening you then I need to destroy them immediately. Pretending like the threat isn't there, won't make it go away."

Lexa sighed. "I know, but...I'm scared." She slowly sat up and pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around them. "Last month I found out that my sister was alive, and how my ex fiancee died. All of that was like getting a punch to the heart and now I find out that I'm not even human."

"More than likely you're at least half human." Regina said, hoping to give her a little comfort.

"That makes me feel so much better." Lexa replied, sarcasm lacing every word.

Regina smiled and kissed her cheek. "Put on some clothes and come with me. We're going to tell Dinah what she is and what you might be. Come on."

"Then we can make love?"

"Then we can make love until we both can't walk for a week." She stood up and laughed as Lexa vaulted off the bed to grab some sweatpants and a tank top. Regina lead the way downstairs where Ruby was cleaning her face and Dinah was smirking at her as she ate a bag of potato chips. Belle was still ignoring them and Mal and Lily were watching tv. Regina walked over and cut it off.

"Regina, what the hell?" Lily exclaimed. "That was the best part."

"Later." Regina said. She pointed at Dinah. "Dinah, you're a succubus."

Dinah froze mid chew. "What?"

"You. Are. A. Succubus."

"You mean one of those things that love to have sex?" Dinah asked, a grin slowly spreading across her lips.

"Not a thing. A person. You." Regina corrected. "Would you like to know how we came to this conclusion?" Dinah shrugged. "That." She motioned to the bag of chips. "I've watched you this past month and you eat almost 24/7-"

"Careful there, Gina." Dinah scowled. "Insulting your cute future sister in law's weight would not be wise if you want to join the family."

"Sister in law?" Lexa muttered.

Regina rolled her eyes. "If you would let me finish, I would've said that you eat 24/7 but you **don't** gain any weight. Food does nothing for you, provides no sustenance, no nourishment. It's basically a habit. You only eat because you've been taught to do that since you were a child. That's why you're always hungry. Also, succubi are notorious for causing mischief, hence your annoying love of pranking and your popularity."

"Popularity?" Dinah frowned.

Regina nodded. "Lexa told me you were the most popular girl in school, but that is almost crazy after knowing you for the past month."

"What?!"

Regina raised a finger. "You are not a people pleaser, you have little to no filter and you're impulsive, but you're very good at getting your way. You're very seductive and charismatic when you want to be, often it's because you want something. Growing up rich would've helped with that. You basically do nothing special but everyone falls all over you anyway. Most people that are popular and lovable do specific things to garner that interest, but you literally don't have to do anything. Honestly, you do whatever you feel like and the world reacts to you, and that reaction is almost always lust and admiration."

Mal smirked as she chimed in. "Growing up, you had little interest in dating until your 18th birthday, correct?"

"...yes?"

"That is when succubi mature and they start to feel urges. Think of a lion cub. A lion cub can only survive with its mother's milk, but once it reaches a certain age it needs more than milk. The milk no longer sustains it. That's when they get their taste for meat. When succubi reach this peak it's like a shock to their senses. It changes everything."

"So that's why you started sleeping around so much." Lexa grinned.

"Sex is merely a perk of the way a succubus feeds." Mal continued. "It's like a method for hunting. Dragons dive from above, tigers stalk, cheetahs use speed. Succubi seduce their prey and feed off of their life force. It's what you did with Pan. We're going to have to teach you to use it so you don't make the mistake of kissing someone important and sucking them dry."

"Well, what am I?" Lexa asked.

Regina turned to face her and sighed. "We're still not sure."

"What? But you said-"

"You don't seem to fit into one category." Regina explained. "My first thought was that you're a sylph. They're air fae, friendly, generous, beautiful, almost like angels. But they never think about harming people and last year you put a guy in the hospital because he grabbed my ass."

"So I'm automatically a whore but you thought she was an angel?" Dinah said. "The things I could tell you." Mal smacked her in the back of the head.

"Because that fool should've kept his hands off your hands!" Lexa said, becoming instantly enraged at the memory. "And shut up, Dinah."

"See? Sylphs don't act like that. I thought you might be a maenad afterwards due to how much you love singing, dancing, and sex, but you rarely get intoxicated and that's a big thing for maenads." She shrugged. "Because of your love of nature we even considered you to be a dryad, but I highly doubt that." Regina shrugged. "See?"

"Dinah's my sister. Shouldn't we be the same thing?" Lexa frowned.

"Not necessarily, fae bloodlines are always mixed up and unpredictable. And succubi can't stay with one person for a long time. Feeding on one person takes a toll, and even if Pan was the first person Dinah ever fed on, her instincts would tell her to move on to other people. You said Lauren was your one and only until she died. A succubus would not and could not stay with one person. That means you're different. We just don't know how different."

"Then how do we find out what she is?" Lily stood up. "And how to protect her from the guy her mom was running from."

"I've set up barriers around the property." Mal answered. "No one will get in that you don't want to to get in. In the meantime, we'll need to teach you all to control your newfound abilities so there'll be no accidents, as well as how to protect yourselves. We may even need to return to Storybrooke."

Regina was reluctant to do so, but she understood the necessity of it. They couldn't have giant wolves and dragons in their backyards and expect no one to notice. Storybrooke was safe, especially for Mal and Lily. Lexa went upstairs and Regina was quick to follow.

"Baby? Are you upset?"

"Why would I be upset?" Lexa asked, flopping the bed. "You mean because this is crazy?"

"Not crazy." Regina frowned. "Magic has always been there, always been real. This world just gave up on it."

Lexa looked up at her. "You're real. Magic must be real too to create something like you."

Regina raised a finger. "Don't flatter me while I'm on a mission." She moved to the dresser and pulled out a drawer that housed a few magical objects. A moment later she felt hands trying to undo her shirt from behind. She smirked.

"You promised, Gina." Lexa whined in her ear, gently licking and nipping it.

"Lexa, I'm trying to help you."

"Sex will help me."

"Why don't you go paint until I finish this?" The brunette suggested.

"I can't paint knowing how close you are to me now. I should be able to have you whenever I want, but I can't because you're playing around. Now get naked woman." Lexa commanded.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned around to find Lexa fully naked, arms crossed and glaring at her. The former queen grinned. "Make me." She screamed when Lexa grabbed her and dumped her on the bed, quickly ripping away the dress Regina was wearing. Her eyes were glowing as she tore Regina's lingerie to pieces. This roughness was new, but hardly unwelcome. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning. Regina had been trying to stave off sex for a while, to see if this would have effect on her beloved. It hadn't...up until this point. It took 4 hours. **4 hours.** 4 hours for Lexa to get her fill of her queen. She left Regina hardly able to move, so sore she knew she wouldn't be able to get up for at least a day or two. Afterwards she completely passed out.

/

A few hours later, it was morning, and Regina was enjoying her well deserved rest. That's when she heard Lexa's screams and shot up in bed. Lexa was standing up, looking around. "What the hell?"

"Regina, there was something the bed. Get up." Lexa commanded, tossing the sheets everywhere to find the culprit.

Regina rolled onto her back and sat up with some difficulty. There was nothing on the bed besides Regina herself and the rays of sunshine shining in through the window. "Lexa, I am too tired for this, baby. It was just a bad dream. Come back to sleep." She waved her hand, magically pulling the sheets back on the bed and curled into a tight ball on her pillow.

"Regina, I swear there was something rubbing my leg." Lexa sat down, pressing herself against Regina's back, still looking around.

"Well, it's gone now, so go back to sleep."

"Okay." It took a few minutes for her girlfriend to relax, but she eventually did. About 10 minutes later Regina felt something rubbing, almost stroking her leg. She slowly sat up and moved the sheets. Curling around her leg...was a tail.

"What the hell?" She grabbed it and pulled it up. Lexa sat up immediately and looked around.

"What is it? Did you find what was in the bed?"

"Yes, I did. I also know what you are."

/

"What the fuck is a huldra?" Lexa asked. Regina placed the large book in front of her, showing the description and pictures of the type of fae she spoke of. Mal, Lily and Dinah crowded around to see.

"It's a very ancient mythical creature. A rare type of fae." Regina answered. "They're deadly fighters and possess unique magic akin to witchcraft. Unfortunately they're said to be unpredictable. Either being a dream come true or your worst nightmare depending on your attitude when you meet them."

"And the tail?" Lily asked, pulling on Lexa's. Lexa snatched it and smacked her hands away.

Regina watched it with a smirk. It was thick and fluffy with dark fur to match Lexa's natural hair color. According to the book the tail was used to distinguish them from other fae. They could either have a cow's tail or a fox's tail, however, the fox tail was even rarer but that was undoubtedly what Lexa possessed. It seemed to have a mind of its own, or Lexa was just horrible at controlling it right now.

"That is so cool. I want a tail." Dinah said, trying to touch Lexa's, but she kept moving it.

"Would you two stop it?!" Lexa snapped. She looked up at Regina to find the former queen's eyes black with lust. "Regina, stop looking at me like that."

"Stamina." She smirked.

"What?"

"Huldra have lots of stamina. You fucked me for 4 hours last night."

Dinah snickered. "Just 4, Lexie?"

"Are you sure you're the older sister?" Lily asked.

"Honestly, no. A few weeks ago, I thought I was human. There's no telling what else I was wrong about."

Lexa stood up and spun in a circle, looking at her newfound appendage. "Is there anything else I need to know about this thing? For instance, will it hurt if I cut it off?"

"Will your arm hurt if you cut it off?" Mal replied. "You're only part huldra so you won't have to worry about some of the side effects like having a hole in your back."

"What?"

"What?"

"Enough." Regina snapped her fingers, teleporting herself and Lexa back to their bedroom. She kept looking at Lexa's tail, even as the younger woman tried to hide it. "Stop doing that."

"Stop staring at it."

"But it's sexy."

"Really?" Lexa's eyebrows rose and her tail went straight into the air. "I thought you'd think it was weird." She admitted.

"Why would you think that?" Regina asked, slowly walking forward. Lexa stepped forward, bouncing on the tips of her toes, tail fluffing out excitedly.

"Hold up, how are you walking after last night?"

"Magic potion, now shut up and kiss me, huldra." Regina snapped. This time, sex was different. Lexa's magic was surging and Regina could feel it, almost caressing her own. It was wild and chaotic, unharnessed, but it felt amazing.

Lexa pinned Regina to the bed, both of them dripping with sweat. Regina smiled, looking up into her lover's glowing green eyes. Lexa had always been sexy, always been beautiful, but now...she was just irresistible. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Regina whispered. "The most beautiful, flawed and powerful thing I've ever seen. Everything that I am, Lexa, is yours."

"Gina, stop, you're gonna make me cry." Lexa smiled. Regina peeked past her and smiled at seeing her tail waving in the air. Lexa nodded and sighed. "This stupid, fucking thing-"

Regina quickly kissed her, laughing against her lips. "Hush...my little fae baby."

"For the love of-" Regina shut her up again with a kiss. It was true that all of this was crazy and certainly not what she expected, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	12. Chapter 12

Emma took a deep breath as she walked up the familiar steps to the mayoral mansion. It had been a couple days since Lexa came back to Storybrooke. She knew Lily was busy with Mal, she had seen the pair flying near the stables earlier. Ruby and Belle hadn't come back to Storybrooke at all, only infuriating Gold. Regina and Lexa had been oddly quiet for the most part. She had expected some sort of backlash after everything had come to light, but she had been ignored. It hurt, to be pushed aside by people she thought were her friends. Life wasn't the same without Lexa's smile and her blasting her music nonstop, or trying to have a conversation with Emma about some form of art that she knew nothing about. Those were the good old days. Before Regina.

Emma knocked on the door and took a step back, waiting for someone to answer. She hoped it would be Lexa. When the door opened for a moment she thought it was Lexa, but then she noticed the differences and the blue eyes that were now glaring at her. Dinah tilted her head, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind her.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see Lexa-"

"Why?"

Emma scowled. "Because she's my friend."

"You've used that word before but I don't think you know what that means." Dinah replied. "Do you know what being a friend means?"

"I do." Emma hissed. "What's your problem with me? Ever since you were freed you've acted like I did something to you."

"You think everything is about you." Dinah smirked. "Well, you're right, it is. I don't like you, Emma. I really don't. You're shady, you're conceited, and when my sister needed you, you were somewhere else. Where? You were tormenting her girlfriend just because you didn't like her."

"That had nothing to do with Lexa."

"It had nothing to do with saving this town either, did it? You just wanted to prove that Regina was as bad as you thought she was. Never mind the fact that she actually made Lexa happy. Happier than she had been since Lauren. A friend's happiness should matter to you. Just like her medication. It didn't matter to you that it was helping her. All that mattered to you was the secret about Lauren, which was none of your business to begin with. Am I right, **Savior**?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Tell Lexa I stopped by."

"If Lexa wanted to talk to you, she would've done so by now. Wouldn't she?"

"You know what, fuck you, Dinah." Emma snapped. "I was a friend to Lexa. I'm still trying to be. No one is perfect, okay? I helped Lexa, I helped take care of her and pay the bills and buy her art supplies and food. I have been a good friend to Lexa. I don't need you to tell me about my relationship with your sister."

"You mean the relationship you **wish** you had?" Dinah grinned, chuckling, amused by the entire situation. Emma felt her cheeks and ears burning, but she was far from blushing. She was getting angry. Very angry. "It must've hurt seeing her fall into Regina's arms after what, 3 years? But other than that, you do realize Lexa is rich? Has been for some time. She didn't need a cent from you. Any money you gave her for bills and art supplies went towards necessities and gifts for you and Lily. She paid for everything." Dinah laughed to herself. "I mean, she and Lily just moved. Left you all alone, didn't they? Again, while you were here trying to mess with Regina. Even on the boat to Neverland, everyone else was worried about saving Henry, saving Lexa. You were still focused on a fucking secret."

"The point of this would be?" Emma asked.

"To tell you to stay the fuck away from my sister." Dinah answered. "If she wants to talk to you, fine. If not, go away and stay away. I'm not Regina, I'm not Lily, I'm not trying to be good or pander to a little boy. Lexa is almost all I have left in this world and I've missed a lot, but I'm not about to let you or anyone else think you can hurt her and get away with it. I know the Savior is used to getting her way now, by that stops at this door. Goodbye, Emma." Both of them looked up as Lily approached, looking wearily between them.

Emma rolled her eyes and stormed off to her car. She heard Dinah chuckling and looked back to see her hug Lily.

"Damn, Dinah. We've been here two days."

"I don't like to waste time."

Both of them walked into the house and she sighed and got into her car to drive away.

/

Meanwhile, Regina was curled up almost underneath Lexa while her young lover was trying to sketch before their training session.

"Gina, baby, what is going on with you?" The blonde let out a frustrated grunt when Regina's moving made her make a mistake. She tried to turn, but the former queen wouldn't let her.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, laying across her lap.

"You haven't been a foot away from me since we got here." Lexa answered.

Regina ignored the statement, choosing instead to stroke the bushy tail swishing in front of her. It was apparently sensitive to touch. Lexa shuddered and stood up, walking across the room to the recliner. Regina narrowed her eyes, teleporting across the room and right into her lap. Lexa moved her notebook and glared at her girlfriend.

"Gina, are you okay?"

"Perfect." The door opened and Regina heard the footsteps of new arrivals but she didn't turn around, neither did she get off Lexa, too busy noting how bright her eyes were. They were so beautiful. A strong arm suddenly grabbed her from behind. "What the- No! Mal, put me down!" Mal carried her back to the couch and sat down, keeping a firm grip on Regina's wrist.

"She'll be very clingy for a while as you start to practice your magic." Mal said to Lexa. Dinah and Lily stood next to the doorway, watching in amusement as Regina struggled to get away from her captor.

"Lexa! Save me!" Regina called. "Help!"

"Regina, you're fine." Lexa said without looking up.

Mal arched an eyebrow. "Are you intoxicated?"

"No, I want you to let me go." She looked at Dinah. "Who was that at the door earlier?"

"Emma. She didn't want anything."

"Oh. I'm not surprised." Regina struggled against Mal's superior strength to no avail. She sighed and whistled. Lola and Akela came flying into the room and jumped on them both. Mal laughed and petted the dogs, releasing Regina and freeing herself momentarily. She took off across the room and dove into Lexa's lap. "Dragon bitch trying to separate me from my woman." She muttered, burying her face in Lexa's neck. She laughed and whispered. "My little fae baby."

"Oh my god, I wish you would forget that." Lexa sighed, giving up on drawing and instead wrapping her arms around Regina.

"Never." She promised.

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	13. Chapter 13

The first thing Maleficent thought when she saw the shattered glass, was that Regina was throwing a temper tantrum. It wasn't anything new. Shattering mirrors seemed to be a favorite pastime of hers. But when she found the queen sitting on the bedroom floor, rocking back and forth and baring a bloody hand, she knew that this was much worse. After everything she had been through, Regina was perfectly due and entitled to a mental breakdown. Mal wouldn't even blame her. But she was confused, everything was going fine 2 days ago.

"Regina?" The dragon knelt next to her longtime friend and healed her hand. "What's wrong?"

"Everything." Regina said softly.

Mal frowned and sat next to her. "2 days ago everything was perfect. What has changed?"

"I've...just been thinking." Regina sighed. "All of this craziness, everything that has happened, happened because of me. Lexa doesn't deserve this. She deserves the life she always dreamed about, growing old on some island and sharing her artwork with the world. Not...all of this."

"Regina, sometimes you need to get out of your own head. It's a very dark place and it won't help you in times like these."

"Times like these?"

Mal nodded. "When have you ever been happy quite like this?" Regina shrugged. "Exactly. You have no experience with this. Your intuition right now, is not going to help you."

"But-"

"This whole sacrificial lamb, 'I'd rather break my heart before I let you do it' thing, is not only going to be detrimental to you, but also for everyone you care about." Mal took the younger queen's hands and pulled them into her lap. "Lexa loves you. She wants to be with you and she is not going anywhere without a fight, you know this. You two deserve each other. Just because this isn't the life you imagined, doesn't mean it's a bad one."

"She deserves better." Regina said softly, apparently stuck in her resolve.

"So you're going to break up with her?"

"I should."

Mal rolled her eyes. "You'll need a better reason than this. Lexa was never fully human so more than likely she would've been pulled into this at some point. Don't beat yourself up over it." She reached behind her and placed her new thing in Regina's arms.

Regina instantly screamed. "Mal, what the fuck?! Is this Lexa's tail?!"

Mal grinned proudly. "It is. Turns out, she's not a huldra at all. She couldn't even move this, it wasn't attached to her spine and it was bothering her. So I chopped it off. Of course this was after Dinah told me about a shot Netina had given them when they were little, for apparently no reason at all. Now, fae are experts at hiding their existence. Each type is different, meaning they each have their own weaknesses. And what's the best way to hide their weaknesses? By pretending to be something else."

Regina's voice contorted in disgust as she moved the tail. "So what is she really?"

"A witch." Mal replied. "Something less complicated but no less annoying. I despise witches." She shuddered as she stood up. "You can have fun training her before you make the mistake of your life in breaking up with her." The dragon departed and made her way downstairs to the backyard where Dinah, Lexa and Lily had just finished a sparring session with Ruby.

"Hey guys, can you keep a secret?" Lexa asked, panting and sweating profusely.

"What about?" Lily collapsed next to her while Ruby smirked.

"I'm gonna...ask Regina...to marry me." Lexa took a deep breath. "I need to work on my cardio." She was almost immediately tackled by Dinah.

"I'm so happy for you, Little Sister!" She squealed. Lily joined in the dogpile and Ruby jumped on top. Mal and Belle rolled their eyes, but smiled as well. Although deep down Mal was slightly sick. She hoped Regina would change her mind and put these thoughts out of her head of breaking up with Lexa. Neither one deserved it.

Lexa managed to dig herself out of the dogpile that had turned into a brawl between the other three fools and approached Mal. "I have a request first...if it's possible."

"Name it."

"I want to talk to Lauren."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina was pacing her bedroom the next night when Dinah burst into her room. "Regina, it's the full moon." She stated.

"Duh."

"Come to the backyard. I want you to see something."

Regina sighed. She had too much to think about and plan for. Lexa had made a comment that she was acting weird, but then again so was she. Everyone had spent all day looking at her like they knew some big secret and it was starting to piss Regina off very quickly. She decided to follow the tall tan beauty out to the backyard where everyone was sitting in the grass. Except for Mal, who was chanting over some kind of ring. Lexa was sitting in front of her, a small ways from the rest of the group.

"What the hell is going on?" Regina demanded. Dinah and Lily yanked her to the ground. "What?!"

"Ssh! Lexa is gonna talk to Lauren." Lily hissed.

"WHAT?!"

"Lauren?" Regina looked up at her lover, at the sound of pure joy in her voice that shook Regina to her core. From a cloud of dark magic arose none other than Lauren herself. The real Lauren. She was wearing a white dress and her long ebony tresses were pinned to one side, a small flower in the clasp. When she embraced Lexa, it hurt all the more. Lexa held her like she never wanted to let go. Regina slowly sank to the ground next to Lily.

"Regina, you idiot, Mom didn't bring her back to life." Lily whispered. "Lexa is finally saying goodbye."

Regina's eyebrows rose and she refocused on her lover, holding the love of her life.

"I miss you." Lexa took a step back, looking Lauren up and down.

"I miss you too." Lauren sniffled, allowing Lexa to wipe away her tears with her thumb.

"You didn't end up in hell, did you?"

Lauren punched her in the chest. "No. I wasn't that bad."

"Still...surprising." Lexa grinned. Lauren flipped her off. "I'm sorry, you know." Lexa's grin quickly faded. "For that night, for forgetting it, for not fighting harder-"

"Lexi, no." Lauren smiled sadly. "You're alive, and you're happy. I'm happy knowing that you are. No one could have fought harder that night. Forget that night again because I don't want you to remember me that way. I want to be remembered like I was. You know, cool and fucking awesome. Like the time I stole your Dad's $40 million car and crashed it. Or when I broke into school and trashed one of our teacher's offices." Lauren sighed. "We did so much stuff we should've went to jail for."

"Perks of having a rich family." Lexa smiled.

"Perks of having a rich girlfriend." Lauren retorted. "Guess we can't have those beautiful poly-latin babies we always wanted." She looked at Mal. "Unless you could do that."

"Why would I want to raise a baby without you?" Lexa scoffed.

"Because it would be surrounded by love. Besides, you seem to have found a good family." She peered around Lexa and waved. Lily and Regina awkwardly waved back while Dinah flipped her off.

"That sexy little latin queen is Regina. She's my girlfriend." Lexa stated proudly.

Lauren grinned. "She's hot and she's a latina. Excellent choice."

"Yeah. But she has this annoying thing about pushing people away. She's terribly in love with me though. As you can see."

"Who wouldn't be?" Lauren smirked.

Lexa blushed. "Oh yeah, turns out I'm not human."

"I knew that. You're a goddess."

"No, seriously, Lo. I'm fae. It's crazy. Dinah is a succubus. Oh and my girlfriend is the Evil Queen. Lily's mom is Maleficent." She pointed at Mal excitedly. "She's the reason we're talking right now."

Lauren looked at Mal with wide eyes. "You're hot." She said, and immediately turned bright red. "Sorry."

"No problem." Mal grinned smugly. She suddenly looked at Lily in shock. "You called me Mom."

Lexa quickly explained what happened between mother and daughter and Lauren smiled.

"We're getting off subject." Dinah yelled. "Can they make babies or what?"

"I'm glad to see you haven't changed, D." Lauren smirked.

"Never."

Regina was surprised when Lauren asked to speak to her privately. They stepped away from the others and she faced the woman who would have married Lexa. She was nervous and slightly angry that everyone had planned this without consulting her. Speaking to the dead was dangerous and unnatural. She knew Mal wouldn't be able to hold the spell for long.

"You're Regina." Lauren stated.

"And you're-

"I don't have much time." Lauren interrupted. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Promise me that you won't hurt Lexa. She's been through enough for a lifetime. And I don't know much about all this magic and fae stuff, I can't do anything about it anyway, but...just take care of her. She's a lover, not a fighter and her heart needs to be protected."

"I know." Regina said softly. "I know."

"No, you don't." Lauren replied. "As I'm sure you already know, I didn't grow up in a happy home. I didn't hide who I was like Lexa and Dinah did and my parents hated me for it. They tried to force me into being their perfect little princess and I did everything I could to rebel. That includes drugs, liquor, you name it. I nearly destroyed myself."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this." Regina frowned.

"I'm telling you this because the only thing that saved me was Lexa." A small smile touched Lauren's lips. "She's the only reason I gathered the strength to get back healthy and fight my parents in a better way. She's so loyal and caring...you just don't get how much. I just want her to be happy. She deserves to be happy, she deserves kids and a long life and no more bullshit. Mal told me what you plan to do, and if you truly believe it's what you want and it's best for the both of you, then go ahead. Let her go so someone can finally give her her happiness, hopefully with someone a little less fucked up than us." Both of them glanced back at Lexa, who was patiently waiting for Lauren's return.

"She would be better off without me complicating her life. I destroy everything I touch." Regina whispered.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "You know, I didn't think you would be so stupid." And with that, she turned to hug Lily and Dinah before returning to Lexa's arms. Lexa crushed her to her chest again. "Remember what I said?"

"About making babies. Got it."

"No, you idiot. About remembering me." Lauren smiled. "And if you have kids one day, promise you'll tell them about me."

Lexa nodded. "Duh, Lo."

"My strength is waning." Mal warned them.

Lauren and Lexa both stared at her. "I kissed her." Lexa said smugly.

"I don't blame you." Lauren returned.

Dinah punched Lily's shoulder. "Your mom's such a chick magnet."

"Anyways," Lauren returned her attention to Lexa. Her eyes started watering. "Fuck! I hate crying. I look horrible."

"You've never looked more beautiful." Lexa replied, wiping her cheeks again. This time her hand remained on Lauren's cheek. Regina look away as they kissed. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to see her girlfriend doting on another girl, no matter who it was. It just occurred to her now that she didn't know much about Lauren or Lexa's childhood due to both going hand in hand. Lexa had actually asked about her past relationships and even seemed to enjoy hearing about Daniel. She scowled lightly to herself at how selfish she had been. "Gina?" Lexa touched Regina's shoulder and she turned around. "You okay? I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just-"

"Don't." Regina snapped. "Just don't. If I could have the chance to say goodbye to Daniel, I would take it. Unfortunately he's moved on. Don't ever apologize to me for something like this, okay?"

Lexa nodded. "Thanks."

Regina teleported them to their bedroom. Lexa frowned, seeing that something was wrong. "I was thinking about breaking up with you."

"Why?" Lexa took a step back. "Is it something I did?"

"No." She sighed. "I just thought you deserved better. You know, a normal life."

"I've never had a normal life." Lexa tilted her head. "Normal doesn't even exist at this point, babe."

Regina smirked. "I'm sorry. It's just I'm afraid of losing you, of having something happen to you because of me and my past."

Lexa rolled her eyes. "You worry too much. Hakuna Matata."

"You're a fool."

"A fool…" Lexa grinned. "In love with you."

/

Afterwards, Regina noticed a change come over them both. She asked about Lexa's childhood, about Lauren, and actually enjoyed hearing about the crazy things the two got up to as children and teenagers. Lexa really started to excel in learning magic, becoming more comfortable in her studies. She even washed the dye out of her hair. Although her natural chocolate brown hair would be forever altered, Regina thought it looked nice with the mix of lighter and darker shades. She tried to stop worrying about things beyond her control, but that seemed just as difficult.

It was bright and warm day and the Mills decided to head to the park for a picnic. Emma promised to bring Henry and it had been so long since Regina had seen him that she was almost bouncing as they walked there from the mansion. "Why did you send Lily off this morning?" She inquired to Lexa, walking next to her, their hands conjoined.

"She delivered a new painting for me." Lexa answered. "My masterpiece."

"When are you going to show it?"

"Next week probably." Lexa shrugged. "I've been working on it for a while."

"What is it of?"

"Surprise."

Regina rolled her eyes. Of course. She glanced over at Lexa. "Were you serious about having a baby?"

Lexa shrugged again. "I mean, I would love to. It was always a dream of ours."

"With Lauren...or me?"

Lexa nodded. "Can you imagine a more perfect child than one with my DNA, yours and Lauren's? Mal said she could make it happen. I would just need Lauren's DNA. With all that fucking hair she had it won't be hard to find some all over her stuff I packed up."

"Oh, you're talking about someone else having a lot of hair?" Regina asked. She had mixed feelings about this whole baby thing. They had too much going on to be having a baby. However, if Lexa wanted a baby with her, she would never say no. It made her giddy in a way. The thought of Lexa pregnant with their baby made her smile.

They arrived at the park and spread a large blanket over the ground. Lexa quickly sat down and she and Dinah started pulling out the food, trying to fight off Ruby while doing so. Belle and Mal sat on the edge of the blanket while Regina looked around for Henry. She knew Emma would try to talk to Lexa. She was a bit concerned with how stupidly obsessed the blonde was with her girlfriend, but she wasn't worried. She and Lexa were closer than ever after spending the last week and a half talking and working through the small rough patch that Regina herself had caused. She wasn't worried at all...except maybe Emma making a fool of herself.

The blonde arrived a few minutes later with her son, but Regina noticed at once that Henry didn't seem interested in having any kind of conversation with her. It stung, but she kept trying.

"So, Lexa...how have you been doing?" Emma asked.

Lexa shrugged, biting into her sandwich. "Fine." Her eyes were on her sister. Both of them noticed that every time Dinah looked at Lily, her eyes would glow bright blue. "D, you okay?" Lily immediately looked up in concern, silently asking the older Kane sister if something was wrong.

Dinah jumped. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm good."

"If you say so."

"Must be nice to have your sister back." Emma commented.

"Yep." Lexa shrugged. "Although she needs to stop with the pranking." She was promptly ignored. "Anyways, things been good with you?"

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "Met my parents, been busy with my son." The blonde noticed the slight pause from her former friend at the mention of Henry. "What?"

Lexa sighed and put down her food. "I'm just surprised that you could do that."

"Do what?"

She lowered her voice to reply. "Take Henry from Regina. You know she would never hurt him, no matter how afraid he was. She loves that kid more than anything."

"She loves you more." Emma countered. "And Henry's happy. He doesn't want to go back to Regina. Otherwise I would've taken him to the house days ago."

"He's a kid. And he wouldn't be the first kid to run away after finding out he was adopted. Let's be honest, Emma, you barely know him. But you do know that what you did was wrong."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Lexa, Henry is happy. Let's leave it at that."

"No, let's not." Lexa looked down before taking a deep breath. "I don't know if I want to be friends with you anymore, Emma."

"W-what?" Emma glanced around, noticing that all eyes were on them now.

"You're a completely different person and you've done things I don't even want to think about, much less associate with. Ever since you found this place and you found out who Regina was and who you were, your head has tripled in size and gotten twice as thick. I don't care about the savior or the sheriff. I know you want to live up to everyone's expectations but you of all people should know it won't work."

"Lexa, look, we can-"

"Can you send me home?" She asked, looking at Regina. Regina nodded and made a gesture to send her grilfriend back to the house. She did the same to Dinah after the blonde asked.

Dinah found her sister in the living room. "Lex, you okay?"

"No!" Lexa snapped. "How does she think this is okay? To show up in somebody else's town and take their son. How in the world is that good in any way?"

"You can't rationalize idiocy." Dinah said.

"And these people, they treat Regina like shit. I swear I'm gonna kill one of them one day. And she doesn't raise a hand against them when she raze could half this town if she truly wanted to. I don't get it."

"Because they would just cycle it back to Henry and she still wants to do right by him." Dinah answered. "Just wait a little longer and we can go home."

Lexa sighed. "I thought I knew Emma. Apparently not."

Dinah wrapped her arms around her sister. "Don't worry. Everything is gonna be okay. This isn't gonna stop us, baby. You know that." Her sister's phone started ringing and Dinah stepped back to let her answer it.

"Mom? What's going on?"

Dinah frowned in concern. "What is it? What happened?" She could hear screaming and static on the other end.

"We have to get to the town line." Lexa hung up and the pair ran outside to Regina's car. They sped back to the park and picked up Regina while Mal and Lily took to the skies and Ruby carried Belle on her back in wolf form. When they arrived at the town line they were met with the sight of a silver mercedes speeding towards them at a breakneck pace. Behind it came the hulking black form of a massive beast.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Lexa asked.

"I have no idea." Regina whispered. The mercedes whizzed past them without even stopping. The creature paused however, just before crossing. It resembled a deformed looking dragon, with mangled, useless wings and patchy fur covering wrinkled skin. It looked like it was made of darkness, some creature that had crawled from the deepest pits of hell.

The mercedes swerved around and Netina, Tamas, Meghan and Victoria exited the car.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Lexa demanded, pointing at Victoria.

"We were looking for you guys." Tamas voiced. "She was too. Then that thing attacked us and we just drove."

"Speaking of that thing," Dinah said. "What the hell is it?"

Netina sighed. "That would be your father."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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	14. Chapter 14

"What the fuck?!" Regina covered her ears at the exclamation. Dinah and Lexa were livid. After putting little Tamas to bed they all had gathered in the living room of the mansion to discuss their latest situation. And by 'discuss', she meant finally get the truth out of Netina about everything going on.

"What else do we need to know, Mom?" Dinah snapped. "First, we're not human, and now Kevin is some kind of monster?" She demanded, referring to his father by his first name. She hated the man that much. "What the hell kind of arranged marriage did you agree to?"

"I had no choice in it!" Netina hissed, rising to her feet and facing her eldest daughter head on. "I had no idea Kevin was the thing I'd been warned about." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I always knew that we were special and fae seek to protect our existence at all costs. This world doesn't tolerate magic anymore. That is why I didn't tell you what you were. The less you knew the better."

"Better for who?" Lexa demanded. "You put our lives and those we cared about in danger by withholding information. You should've told Regina when she asked."

"She is the Evil Queen." Netina stated matter of factly, giving Regina a wary look. "All fae know to stay away from her and her mentor."

"What does the Dark One have to do with this?" Mal inquired.

"Everything."

Regina and Belle threw up their hands. Why were they not surprised? But how could Gold know about this one family in the Land Without Magic years before... Oh, right, he could see the future.

"He knew about the Dark Curse and failed to warn us." Netina nodded to Regina. "She wiped out almost all of the fae in the Enchanted Forest using it. Barely a 10th of our population remains. Those that fled blend in with the humans. But that beast you saw at the border today, that was the Dark One's doing. Why he released it, we don't know, but it hunts and kills our kind, practically anything that exudes magic."

"And you lead it right to our borders." Mal growled. "You trapped us in here."

"I was trying to protect my family." Netina replied.

"With lies and hate." Regina intervened. "You made things much worse than what they would've been. You lied to your entire family and made them hate what they were."

"Like you didn't lie to them." Netina returned. "How many years after you met my daughter did you tell her who you really were?"

"Does that even compare to not even telling her that she's not human?! Or acting like a homophobic bitch? Or letting the bastard go who tried to rape her to protect your precious cover?!" Regina roared. "Lexa knows exactly who I am and who I used to be and she knows that those are two different people. But right now, this queen wants you out of her fucking house. There's a B&B down the street. I suggest you take yourself and the other idiots you brought with you and check yourself in because you are not welcome in this house." She paused. "Except Tamas. He's fine."

Netina looked at Lexa. "Lexa-"

"You heard the woman." Lexa growled.

Regina stormed upstairs and fell onto the bed. Mal fell next to her with a sigh. "I miss the old apartment." She whispered.

"But I wasn't in the old apartment." Mal smirked. "And besides, you have me now so I'll do some research and find out what we're facing with all this fae nonsense. As well as find and torture Rumpelstiltskin to get his information. Spend time with your mate."

"I can't ask you to do that, Mal."

"Nonsense. You're not the only one in this thing anymore." She kissed the top of Regina's head and got off the bed. "I shall send in your beloved for a bit of much needed bedded diversion and threaten the rest of her family on my way out."

"You're the best." Regina called.

"I am aware." Mal replied as she left the room.

Regina sighed and leaned her head back on the bed, remembering their trip to Alaska one summer a couple years back. The memory calmed her and helped to ease the irritation she felt.

/

 _Regina rubbed her hands together, letting the warmth of the fire burn away the ache of the cold. She added more logs of the sweet smelling wood to the fire and turned around to find her girlfriend sitting to the window, watching the snow delicately fall from the sky. "What are you doing, dear?" She glided across the room and forced her way into Lexa's lap._

" _It's like a whole different world." Lexa answered._

" _An island girl fascinated with snow." Regina chuckled. "You are full of surprises."_

" _My dad hated the snow." Lexa replied. "My mom loved the tropics. We never lived anywhere that had snow."_

" _You moved around a lot?" Regina ventured to ask._

" _No, not that much. Just when my dad thought another area would be profitable." Lexa frowned. "Why are people so greedy?" She asked, genuinely confused. "He has more money than he could ever spend and yet he's more than willing to go the extra mile for more. Why?"_

" _Greed is a poison." Regina answered. "It infects its host, slowly eats away at him and hurts all in his vicinity. It doesn't infect everyone, thankfully. Just the weak people."_

 _Lexa turned back to the window and Regina arched an eyebrow, watching her look off at the blanketed landscape almost longingly. They had used dog sleds to make their way to this beautiful cabin but they hadn't had much time to do much else. The former queen rose to her feet and went into the kitchen. Lexa didn't move so she put on her boots and slipped out the back door. She ducked down and made her way to rest just beneath the window Lexa sat in front of. She leaped up and screamed. Lexa looked like she had a mini heart attack. Regina laughed and grabbed a hunk of snow. Lexa came barrelling outside a few moments later and she received a snowball to the face. Regina laughed again and was promptly tackled into the snow._

 _A snowball fight. She used to have them all the time when she was little. With her father, and only when her mother allowed it. Having a snowball fight with the love of her life, it made her feel like a teenager head over heels in love. And she really was. She had never met anyone like Lexa, and she was sure she never would again._

" _Cute idea...but bad one." Lexa commented as the pair sat near the fireplace, warming up frozen limbs and clutching mugs of hot chocolate after a hot shower._

 _Regina smiled. "You enjoyed it."_

" _I did." Lexa chuckled. "You know something, Regina Mills?"_

" _What?"_

" _I love you. I would never be able to find the exact words to tell you...but I do. More than anything." Lexa looked down, cheeks turning bright red. "Come what may with us, I want to be by your side."_

 _Regina smiled again. "I love you too. And don't worry, I'm not letting you go anywhere."_

 _/_

Regina arched an eyebrow when Lexa walked into the room, bringing with her the sounds of Dinah of cursing worse than a sailor and Lily trying to calm her down.

"You okay?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, I just might commit a little murder later, but I'll be fine." Lexa shrugged. "You?"

"Nope, not at all. But I'm going to ignore everything for now and make love to you. Then we are going to find a way to kill your father. Sound good?"

Lexa immediately started undressing. "Perfect." She dropped to her knees and pulled Regina to the edge of the bed, parting her legs with a greedy grin. Regina sat up.

"Remove my clothes, my dear. With magic."

Lexa scowled slightly and closed her eyes, raising her hands. Regina arched an eyebrow, already knowing she would have to break that habit immediately. Magic users needed to see their magic, what it formed, what it created. It wasn't quite enough to just envision it. But she succeeded and quickly buried her face between Regina's thighs. Lexa's touch was just what she needed to relax. After the last disappointing day, she needed the outlet her girlfriend was more than happy to provide. After a blissful evening she was surprised to awaken in the middle of the night and find that her lover was gone from their bed. She got up and put on her robe before venturing to find her.

The sounds of talking drew Regina to the backyard. She stepped out onto the back patio and found Lexa, lazily painting, while Lily, Ruby and Dinah kept her company in their own obnoxious ways.

"So Lily," Dinah said, laying on her back and tossing a ball into the air. "Think you can get me a date with your mom?"

"Fuck you, Dinah." Lily called from where she was relaxing in a hammock. Ruby was nearby, watching Lexa paint.

"I think everyone wants a piece of Mal." The werewolf commented.

"Who wouldn't?" Lexa asked.

Regina cleared her throat as she stepped out. "Mal's sexual prowess should not concern my lover." Lexa's response was to hide behind her painting. "Shouldn't you all be sleeping?"

"Maybe." Dinah replied. "What's your point?"

Regina rolled her eyes and sat down next to her girlfriend. "You okay? Couldn't sleep?" She asked in concern. She wasn't even sure if Lexa was still taking her medicine, or if she even needed it anymore. She made a mental note to ask about it later.

"No. Just a little wired, I guess, what with everything that's been going on." Lexa shrugged. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay." Regina stood back up and looked up at the sound of dragon wings shaking the air. "What's Mal doing?"

"Making a magic barrier with salt." Lily answered.

"She and Belle found a book about fae and stuff and apparently a circle of salt can keep out most dark fae." Ruby added. "Tomorrow, they're going to make iron weapons and traps as a precaution."

"Remind me to thank them later on." Regina kissed the top of Lexa's head. "Don't stay up too late, dear."

"Hey, Regina, how was sex with Mal?" Dinah asked.

"Dinah! I swear to God!" Lily hissed, sitting up. Dinah burst into laughter and quickly crossed the patio to climb into the hammock.

"I'm only kidding, dragon. You get worked up over the littlest things."

"I get worked up when all of you are lusting over my mother."

Dinah kissed her cheek. "Unlike my sister, I prefer women my own age, and as beautiful as Mal is, her daughter is far more stunning."

"You act like I date elderly women in their 50s with gray hair." Lexa muttered. "But I am loving this Linah."

Regina frowned. "Linah? What's that?"

"Lily and Dinah." Lexa answered. "Or should it be Lilinah?"

"How old are you?" Dinah asked.

"Old enough to have a hot spanish italian girlfriend!" Lexa snapped. She got to her feet and took Regina's hand. "Who I'm about to have sex with." She and Dinah flipped each other off as she lead Regina back to their room. Regina got back into bed and waited for her girlfriend to wash the paint off her hands. She returned to dive into bed. "We're not having sex by the way, my thigh still hurts from you biting it earlier."

Regina smirked. "They shouldn't be so delicious."

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	15. Chapter 15

Regina awoke to the sounds of more arguing. Her attempt to ignore it did nothing to lull her back to sleep so she decided to get up for the day and took a quick shower, dressing herself in one of her pantsuits, minus the jacket. She fluffed out her hair as she made her way downstairs, finding the Amasio sisters on the verge of ripping each other apart. Mal, Lily and Netina seemed to be trying to facilitate the dispute, to no avail. Dinah's temper was firmly in control and Lexa was almost feeding off it. Regina stepped forward and touched her girlfriend's arm and Lexa relaxed almost instantly, bursting into smiles when she found that it was Regina.

"Did we wake you, babe?"

"Yes, you did. I'm gonna get some coffee and come back and find out what the hell is going on. Try to calm down while I do so, yes?" Lexa nodded. Regina went and poured herself some coffee and drank deeply of the liquid before returning to the living room. "Okay, now what's going on? One at a time."

"We were just trying to find some common ground." Lexa supplied. "After all, we can't fight off a monster while we're at each other's throats."

"All of them need therapy." Mal said, rising to her feet. "I'll leave you to handle this. Good day." Regina's eyes narrowed as the queen left, almost all eyes in the room following her backside as she departed. She smacked Lexa and Lily hit Dinah in the back of the head.

"Meghan, you first." Regina said.

"This is stupid." Meghan scoffed, standing up. "I'm leaving."

Dinah rolled her eyes. "Not surprised."

"I am. Isn't leaving your thing?" Meghan asked. Dinah was on her feet in an instant. "I'm not afraid of you, you Amazonian savage. Fuck you."

"Oh just go whine to Daddy like you always do. He's right outside the border waiting to kill you."

"What have I ever done to you?"

"Besides being a bitch 24/7? How about breaking Lexa's arm, or all the little petty shit you used to do that nearly got me expelled from school? The rumors you started at school, how about that? Let's not forget the time you fucked with the motor in my boat and left me at sea for almost 2 days. How about that?"

"Fine then." Meghan threw up her hands. "Let's talk about the time you almost killed me by pushing me down the stairs."

"I never pushed you down the stairs!"

"I think I remember the day I almost died very clearly, Dinah." Meghan hissed. "You literally said 'Die, Bitch' and pushed me down the stairs. I broke my leg, sprained my wrist and had a concussion from that shit."

"May I interject while we're on the subject of bodily injuries?" Lexa said. "Does anyone remember the separated shoulder and fractured femur I sustained when getting run over by a lamborghini?"

"That was Dinah"s fault!" Meghan yelled.

"How is that my fault, you were driving!" Dinah roared.

Regina sipped her coffee as all three launched into another tirade about how much they hated each other and how they hurt each other. A small part of her wondered just how they could sustain such injuries as children and not alert the authorities. Then she remembered that Lexa had stolen several billions of dollars from her parents and they barely even noticed.

"You two have always hated me." Meghan said. "And for what? You always banded together against me, no matter what. Lexa could have shot me point blank and Dinah, you would've backed her with no hesitation."

"If you didn't act like an ass all the time, maybe we could've been like real sisters, but you act like we took away something from you just by existing." Dinah's face contorted in confusion and anger.

"Well, it's not easy being the youngest to the golden girls who were perfect at everything!"

"And that's our fault?" Lexa screamed.

"Enough!" Netina yelled.

"Shut the fuck up, Tina." Dinah snapped.

"I am your mother!"

"Oh, now you want to be our mother?! You're about 30 years too late!"

"Okay!" Regina stepped in when Lily pulled Dinah back. "Let's all just sit down and take a few deep breaths. You've all aired your grievances...now let it go. I know I'm the last person to be singing that song but it's true. You can't do anything about your pasts, you can't change them, you can't fix them. So, drop them." She looked around at all of the annoyed faces. "You're all stubborn, and you think you're right. You might be, but you're not going to get anywhere by yelling at each other. We have a bigger threat to be worrying about. You all fighting is not going to help us."

"Help us do what?" Dinah demanded. "Kill Kevin?!"

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Have you fed since Pan?"

"No, I am starving, but that's not the point, Regina. The point is, we need to kill the son of a bitch on the border."

"No, you need to feed." Regina hissed. "How many times do I have to tell you that the longer you wait, the weaker you will get. Just ask Mal."

"I'm fine!" Dinah yelled. Regina grabbed her wrist and yanked forward, something she normally not be able to do considering Dinah was twice as strong as she was. In her weakened state, Dinah couldn't break Regina's grip and yelped as the queen flipped her.

"Go get Mal and feed. Lily, go with her, make sure she actually does." Mal was the only one with the magical strength to support herself and Dinah's life force. She was also the only one strong enough to get Dinah off of her since the succubus had yet to learn to control her own feedings. It was another problem they had to deal with. After the pair had left, Regina turned to Meghan. "I get it, okay? Growing up with Lexa and Dinah couldn't have been easy, but you've tried the other ways, You've tried talking and arguing and fighting. It's not working. I suggest you find a new way to deal with things." Meghan rolled her eyes. "Hey." Regina said, gently. "Please. We still need to find out what you are."

"She's not anything." Netina said.

"You know, Tina, I've learned to ignore everything you say after you lied to me the first couple times." Regina retorted. She looked at Meghan, who looked uncomfortable. "You're one of the fae, you know this?" She nodded. "You're whatever Kevin is, aren't you?" She nodded again. "Hey." Regina touched her chin, making the younger brunette look her in the eye. "I'm only here to help you, okay? I don't care about your little feud. I'm here to make sure we all can live in peace, and to do that, I'm going to have find out specifically what you are and how to train you. Okay?" Meghan glanced at Lexa over Regina's shoulder, but the queen didn't let her off the hook. "Meghan, why don't you and i get dinner later, hmm? And talk. Just talk."

"I think the fuck not." Lexa snapped.

Regina ignored her. "What do you say?"

Meghan shrugged. "Fine."

"Excellent. You may go now, I need to have a few words with your mother." Regina watched her leave before turning to Netina. "Is there anything else you need to tell me? You have 10 seconds."

"No-"

"ARE YOU SURE?! Because if something comes back to bite me in the ass, I'm kicking yours. Is there anything you left out? Do you know what Kevin and Meghan are?"

Netina shook her head. "Look-"

"No, get the fuck out." She snapped her fingers, sending the woman away. She looked over her shoulder at Lexa. "Now, for you."

"I didn't do anything." Lexa pouted.

"You have a lesson with Belle and Lily in half an hour. You should get ready." Regina said, making her way upstairs. Lexa followed.

"Regina-"

"Nope, I'm going back to bed. You are going to do your training for today, and when you get back we are going to talk about you and your crazy ass sisters." She walked into her room, waited until Lexa had finished changing and promptly ushered her out before closing the door. She collapsed back into bed with a sigh and curled up for a little nap.

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	16. Chapter 16

Regina offered a small smile at Meghan as the younger woman sat in the booth across from her. The brunette didn't look too pleased at having to come here, but at the moment Regina needed to know what she was. "Thank you for meeting me."

"Did I have a choice?" Meghan asked.

"Of course you did, but you do understand the severity of our situation, correct? We need to know what you are and what your father is. It's the best way to help you-"

"And kill him?"

"Most likely." Regina answered. "But let's start with something different. Just tell me about you." She glanced down, noticing Meghan tapping the table with her fingernails. She wasn't sure if the woman was doing it subconsciously or if she was shaking. "What is it?"

"I don't like talking about myself." Meghan replied, looking away.

Regina frowned in concern, placing her hand over Meghan's to stop her tapping. "Did your father hurt you?"

"Physically? No." Meghan sighed. "Okay. It was hard though. People pretty much decided who I would be as soon as I was born. You know, born into money, she must be a rich bitch who had never worked a day in her life and always had daddy get her out of trouble. I didn't want to be that way but, people are so rude and disrespectful and if I wasn't going to be treated like me…"

"Then you might as well be the rich bitch." Regina nodded. "Believe me, I get it."

"No, you don't." Meghan laughed sadly. "Growing up in that house...it was hell. Kevin wanted me to be the perfect child, but that was Dinah. She could do it all. Cheerleading Captain, Captain of the Debate Team, track star, date the star quarterback, valedictorian. Lexa wanted to be just like her, so she was right behind her. Volleyball captain, student ambassador, salutatorian, drama expert, dance team captain. They did everything and everything was a competition. Kevin told me that I would never be as good as them. I wouldn't ever be prettier or more popular. So he paid for it." She scoffed. "I didn't want it, but he did it anyway. This…" She gestured to herself. "This isn't what I look like."

"What?"

"If I help you, will you change me back? This isn't me. I used to think he made me have plastic surgery or something when I was kid, but not even he could get away with that. Look at me, do I look like my sisters?" She didn't. At all. Regina hadn't really thought about it, but Meghan did look almost inhumanly beautiful. "I was made to look like this, I was made to be like this." She reached into her purse and pulled out an old book, the leather rotting and torn and the pages yellowed from age. Regina quickly took it and opened it, skimming through the pages. Kevin wasn't fae at all. He was a human, who stumbled upon the fae world in the Enchanted Forest and began to use it for his own purposes, corrupting once pure magic and turning it dark and in turn, transforming himself into a monster. The Dark Curse took all of that way when they were transported to the Land Without Magic and he quickly found a new form of magic that would enable him to get whatever he wanted. Money.

"Where did you get this?" Regina asked, looking up.

"I found it. After Netina embarrassed Kevin at the gala, he ran home and started packing. I saw him open this panel in the floor. When he went into the bathroom to get some stuff, I grabbed everything inside it. It was this and a knife. The knife is in my hotel room."

"Let me see it." Regina stood up and Meghan lead her to her room in the B&B and showed her the long dagger. Made of dark metal, it almost sang with dark magic. There were swirling designs on it similar to that of the Dark One's dagger, but it was black and red, not black and silver. She didn't even want to touch it. Regina opened the book and found the page that showed it. "This is what we need to kill your father. We need to purify it and stab him in the heart with it. But first…" She found the correct spell and silently hoped that it would work even though she wasn't fae. She cast it on Meghan and the brunette turned to the nearby mirror. A massive amount of magic started pouring out of her, flowing into the tainted dagger. The room shook and grew dark. Regina crouched down, just in case she needed to run or teleport. A minute later, all of it was gone and Meghan collapsed. Kevin Amasio had tried to change his daughter's face, make her unlike her sisters, but now Regina could see that she too bore striking similarities to Dinah and Lexa, the strong genetics from Netina that she passed on to all of her children. Her hair remained dark, but her body shape and very bone structure had changed, back to what it should've always been. Regina dragged Meghan onto the bed and made sure she was comfortable before calling Mal. The dragon appeared next to her a second later and Regina recounted the last hour or so of her day.

"I'll see about purifying this thing." Mal said, carefully wrapping the dagger into a blanket to avoid touching it. "You should call her sisters. They'll want to be here when she wakes up."

Regina nodded. "Thanks again."

"No problem." The dragon teleported away and Regina called Lexa and Dinah, who despite fighting earlier that morning, arrived within minutes.

"What happened?" Dinah asked, sitting next to her sister. "Who-"

"That's Meghan. That's what she really looks like." Regina supplied. "Your father changed her appearance. My guess is to make it easier to turn her against you."

"What?" Lexa frowned.

"Look, Kevin has been manipulating you all from the beginning. There is something about you two that he didn't like and something about Meghan that he does. We may know how to kill him but I'm just as interested in finding out why he went through the trouble to changing her face and making you all hate each other."

"Oh please. Are you serious right now?" Dinah scoffed. "The hatred is very real. That son of a bitch is going to die."

Regina turned back to the book in her hands. There were hexes, incantations, enchantments, spells, a lot of them dealing with...immortality. "Meghan is the only one like him."

"What?" Lexa and Dinah looked up at her.

"Meghan is the only one like him." Regina repeated a little louder. "She's whatever he is. You two didn't inherit this trait." She handed them the book. "That's elvish writings. It translates to 'Blood of my Blood'."

"You mean he was going to try and use us to extend his own pathetic life?!" Dinah exclaimed.

Regina's eyebrows rose. "Wow, you got that pretty quickly."

"I was valedictorian. I'm not stupid."

"You cheated halfway through your last semester." Lexa said.

"Just the last one...and everyone did so shut up. You know our fucked up school system."

"That's not the only thing." said Regina. Both sisters looked up at her. "From what I could tell, Kevin was already pretty old when I cast the curse and he wasn't a part of it so time didn't stop for him. He's at least 40 now, no more than 50 years old."

"You mean he already did this before." Lexa frowned.

"Yes and there's no telling how long he's been doing it."

Lexa tilted her head. "That means he needs people who bears his blood. His children. But they have to possess this specific trait or whatever?" Regina nodded. She looked at Dinah. "Do you think Tina knows?"

"Probably not or she wouldn't have married him."

"We need to find out what Tamas is too." Regina reminded them, but she thought she already knew the answer to it. Kevin hadn't even tried to find Dinah and Lexa when they ran away, but he had kept Meghan and Tamas close to him. Of course it could just be because Tamas was too young to run away and Netina had kept a good grip on him after thinking that her other children had died. If Meghan knew all this then maybe Tamas had heard something too. She would need to talk to him. "You two stay here. I'll be back soon."

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She knew it would hurt to lose her friend, but not this much. "Still moping, I see." She heard Maleficent say from behind her. Emma didn't look up from where she was sitting on the beach. It was Lexa's favorite place and the only place she seemed to find some peace and quiet away from her parents and the town. She didn't care about their problems, she had enough of her own.

"What do you want?" She sighed.

"I need your help to kill Lexa's father. It involves light magic and you're one of the few people around who can get the job done."

"Not unless I get to talk to Lexa." Emma said.

Maleficent walked around in front of her, standing just far back enough to block the sun from shining in Emma's face and allowing the water to touch her feet. "I think that can be arranged. Will you help?"

"I'll decide **after** I talk to Lexa."

"You do realize that Kevin is-"

"I don't care what he is!" Emma shouted. "I don't care! I'm sick and tired of hearing about someone else's problems!"

"There it is." Maleficent smirked. "There it is, it does get tiring, doesn't it? Being a hero, a leader, everyone's problems become your problems, everyone expects you to solve those problems and when they aren't solved, things get dicey. After all, who saves the hero? Who solves their problems? You know, if people remember that they have problems." She laughed and walked forward, bent down, and grabbed Emma by her jacket, lifting her off the ground with ease. "You should've thought about that when you were trying so hard to be the Savior, but this, that monster at our gates, is your problem too. Now, I suggest you get off your ass and grow a set, you certainly had one when you were messing with Regina." She placed Emma back on the ground and stepped back. "There's a fight coming, Miss Swan. I suggest you get ready."

"I'm always ready." Emma scoffed, straightening her jacket.

"Great!" Mal hit her in the shoulder and sent her flying sideways into the sand. "Oops, I always forget how small and weak you humans are." She watched with a smirk as Emma got back to her feet, dusting herself off. "You look angry." The dragon chuckled as Emma turned around. God how she wanted to punch the that infuriating look off the older blonde. Just because she was a fucking dragon. "Good, that's what we need. Not another self-righteous fool like your parents. Now, let's go so you can have your little heart to heart with Lexa and then we can get to the fun stuff."

Emma rolled her eyes as she followed the blonde. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"I have no idea and I don't care." Came the reply. Emma glared at the blonde's back until she peeked over her shoulder and stopped. "Eventually, she will. I mean, look at me and Regina. She locked me underground for 28 years and I burned down her house and her office."

"You were the arsonist we were looking for."

"Yes. But she also found my daughter, so all is forgiven. That's not the worst things we've done to each other and most likely, it won't be the last time we'll do things like that. True friends forgive each other, no matter what. Lexa managed to forgive her sister and she forgave Regina for her past. If she can't forgive you, then maybe you were never really friends…"

"I thought we were. I tried to be." Emma said. Everything she had done in the past had been for Lexa. All she wanted since meeting her, was for her to be happy. "Lily could've just told me the truth and we could've helped Lexa. There's a thousand other things we could've done."

"You would rather her face the pain of the worst night of her life, or spare her the memory and let her have the good times with Lauren?" Maleficent asked.

"Well, when you say it like that...no."

"That's why Lily did it. That's also why she didn't tell you." Mal turned around to face her. "The night I lost Lily was the worst night of my life. I remember being so happy when I saw her egg and I held it and heard her heart beat within. I remember thinking of all the things I would show her: flying, fighting, breathing fire, helping her build a hoard. She was going to be a princess and live a life people only dream about. Anything she wanted, I would've given her. My one and only child, the greatest gift I could've ever received. Not 2 hours later, your parents walked in and took that gift right from my arms." Emma swallowed as the dragon's eyes darkened, fire breathing behind those blue orbs. "I had never been more angry and more sad in my life. The Dragon Queen begged that night, for her child. Being weak from giving birth, I knew I couldn't hope to fight them, but I tried. When I accidentally trapped myself in that cave, I had to break my way free." She rolled up her sleeves and her skin rippled as she removed the spell she had placed over her forearms. Deep, ugly scars marred her arms. "I tore out all my claws, broke nearly bone in my arms to tear myself out...only to find that my baby was gone. Your parents told me that they were sorry." She laughed sadly, taking a deep breath. "As if that would undo their treachery. The Dragon Queen razed your mother's kingdom...your father's kingdom...a portion of Regina's kingdom...half of her own kingdom...any other kingdom associated with your family. Let's just say half of the Enchanted Forest was fire by the time I had exhausted myself. That was the worst night of my life and if I could take a little pill every night and forget how I felt that night, I would do it. But unlike Lexa, I found Lily. I have Lily. I can go to her now and hug her, and talk to her. She can't do that with Lauren. Not anymore. If I were Lexa, I would've tried to kill you for making me remember losing the woman I loved. None of that night will ever change for her. It was always be that terrible night, no matter if she accepted it or went to therapy for it. That's what you failed to understand. Ignorance is bliss is the saying and it is quite true."

"I didn't know what happened." Emma looked down. "With Lexa...or with you."

"Well, now you do. None of that was your fault, but what was your fault, was what happened with Henry. You could've stopped that, you could've changed that. If it was really about being the hero, being the Savior, a mother to Henry, then maybe things would be different. You let your hatred for Regina get in the way of that. You let your idiot parents and their even stupider followers give you a little confidence boost, but just because your family holds the power doesn't mean you are the most powerful. That is your warning." Maleficent growled. "For if you ever try to hurt or order around anyone that I care about. Now, here's some advice: grow up. Stop pandering to fools. You will never live that way and you'll hate yourself for it. And now that I have parted some wisdom on you, I need a stress reliever." Emma found herself in Regina's living room. "Ruby, Belle, would you like to have a threesome?" The dragon called upstairs. There was a crash from the kitchen and Belle stepped out.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Oh my gods!" Ruby yelled, running down the stairs. "This isn't a trick?"

"Nope." Mal smirked.

Ruby quickly pulled out her phone. "Hey Dinah, guess what I'm about to do?" There was a pause and the werewolf grinned. "You bet your sweet ass it's Mal. Ha!"

"Let's go." Mal said, walking to the staircase.

"Wait, you mean now?"

"Absolutely." Ruby did a giddy bounce and excitedly followed the dragon. "You're going to have to relax a little, dear." Belle hurried after them.

"I'm sorry, I'm excited."

Emma frowned in disgust and turned around as Lexa stepped out of the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a black tank top. "Hey." Emma said softly.

"Hey. Mal teleported me back here, I'm assuming it's because of you."

"I just want to talk to you-"

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to you try to talk shit about Regina." Lexa scowled. "If that's what you want-"

"No." Emma sighed. "Please, can we just take a walk?" Lexa narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. Emma rolled her eyes and held out her pinkie. "I promise it's just to talk. I won't even mention Regina."

"What are we, 5?" Lexa frowned. Emma shrugged. It took a few moments but finally Lexa wrapped her pinkie around hers.

"Talk bad about my woman and I'm kicking you in the face."

"Done."

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